The Lady Killer
by Rockeye
Summary: Dilly ROMANCE! Artemisia is an infamous assassin known for her beauty. Her father and sister die mysteriously and she wants to know who did it. Artemisia gets captured by Zaibach and they become entranced with her, while an assassin tries to kill her.
1. Captured

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 1: Prologue   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership!   
  
A/N: konichewa, minna-san! here's another fic by me. hope it goes places! anyway, it's a dilly romance and this is just all about Artemis Parnassus, the person he would love. it takes place before the zaibach empire turns to crap and u have to imagine Ispanian's as the Hispanics of our world. Not the robotic thingy's from the series. I noe this is kinda OOC, but my characters, my idea, my story! well, carry on...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia looked from her balcony at the vast emporium, filled with customers, trying to barter and buy items off each other. Carriages carrying pompous aristocrats wove through the crowds as male nobles walked amongst the subliminal crowds, trying to gain attention.   
  
Under the intense heat of the sun, the women wore light blouses with short sleeves and Artemisia noticed they all were of slightly tinted whites and pinks. The men wore loose fitting pants with tunics or short sleeved shirts. The crowds moved slowly from the morass of heat and in everyone's mind, they prayed for a breeze.   
  
Today was going to be a long day as Artemisia guessed and she wasn't anticipating any of it. With the heat of the sun baking her olive skin and producing perspiration, she loathed every hour of the day. She withdrew from the balcony and back into her bedroom to change.   
  
Blouses, skirts and pants, all of soft fabric were thrown around her bedroom. Artemisia was deciding what to wear to go for her family's outings, which occurred every Sunday afternoon, meaning today. She loved these outings, as it gave her some sort of freedom and she was able to be herself, except she was never allowed to reveal her true identity and name: Lady Artemis Parnassus.   
  
Artemisia finally chose a suitable outfit; a light cerulean blouse with a white skirt with no layers. She wore an ivory coloured band to cover her tattoo on the inner part of her upper arm: a sparrow with a blue eye, the sign of Parnassus. Artemisia came from a long line of Ispanian assassins, with only one objection; to live and let die. Unlike her father, brother and her late sister were all very skilled in the art of murder, she was emotional and after each of her kills, she would be in psychological turmoil and her family hated her for that weakness.   
  
The Parnassus's were a family of noble operations. Dating back to the birth of Ispano, the first Parnassus's were Generals of the Zaibach army when they established an army and always fought well and never let any of their enemies live. Until one of the Parnassus's decided to marry a Fanelian mistress and when they bore a child, did the Parnassus' blood become tainted. One person of every other generation would effect emotionally after each kill.   
  
With their honourable and noble background, behind all the bloodshed, the Parnassus family were very wealthy. They were notorious for their assassinations of people and always used a pseudonym by Cervantes to keep their identities safe. To the people of Gaia, Artemisia's family was just another aristocratic family they knew nothing about. Since she turned fifteen, last month, Artemis adopted the name Lady before her first name. It was under the Ispanian tradition that such noble families such as her own adopt the name Lady for the females when they turned fifteen and Lord for the males when they turned fifteen. With the families experience in fighting and homicide they always aided the Armed Guards of Zaibach and Ispano, which were both allies.   
  
To her mother's disdain, Artemisia reacted emotionally to her killings, yet she always managed to recover and carry them out with expertise. Her mother always told her she hunted and killed her victims with honour and that she should be proud. To Artemisia, she never perceived it as hunting, it was primarily because of her physical appearance.   
  
Artemisia had shoulder length wavy hair with the colours of raven feathers and natural rouge highlights and fair olive skin, like many of the northern Ispanians. Inherited from her mother, Artemisia had long, thin legs and a small, slender figure. Her hands were long and delicate with perfect fingernails and of a fair complexion. Artemisia had a perfect oval face with light olive skin. Artemis had a straight and slim nose, intriguing amethyst orbs, full lips, an average chin and eyebrows with perfect arches. She had a fair olive complexion that was satin smooth to the touch with a small chest which she always maintained. Artemisia's mother and the few friends she had always told her she was beautiful. She believed she lured her victims to their death and hated her beauty because of that. If only she didn't have to...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As Artemisia left her home with her family, she looked at the crowded streets and sighed. The heat was intense and Artemis regretted wearing a skirt. Like many of the nobles of Ispano, she was allowed to wear pants yet she had to stay within Ispano if she wore them.   
  
Her family was beginning to weave further in the crowd as she block the sunlight with her hand. Artemisia couldn't really get a clear view of them and used her sense of her surroundings to guide her through the marketplace. As she walked around the emporium, in search of her family, she stopped to look at flowers. Thinking about her deceased sister Evangelina, she decided she would buy some flowers for her grave at the cemetery. I could always meet my family back at the house, Artemisia thought. She picked gorgeous white carnations and roses, her favourite flowers and purchased them. Her sister never had a favourite as she wasn't very emotional yet her body was found with her holding a white carnation. Artemisia chose a rose for remembrance, as that was what it symbolized.   
  
As the sun waned in sunlight, Artemisia could see clearly now and looked for her family. She walked off to the right of the walkway and tried to avoid people with large parcels. As some males stared at her, she just put a questioned look on her face and squinted her nose to make her look foolish. This didn't seem to work as they bowed down to where she was and everyone else in the bazaar did the same. Artemisia looked confused and kept on walking.   
  
Cold hands roughly grabbed her arm from behind. "Do you consider me inferior, Lady?" asked a baritone voice she didn't recognize.   
  
Artemisia turned around and found herself staring into diabolical garnet eyes. She didn't recognize him and offended, she slapped him! "Yes, with manners like that!"   
  
Huge mistake. He was seething. Artemisia tried to look at him with innocence, yet he was too overwhelmed with fervent anger to notice. "No one ever treats Lord Dilandau-sama that way!"   
  
Dilandau! She remembered as she dropped the rose. Lord Dilandau Albatou, or Dilandau-sama, as he preferred was the leader of the dragonslayers and was known for torturing people who disobeyed him and she knew he was at no mercy to her. He obviously didn't know who she was, as she never attended meetings with the Zaibach Generals.   
  
"Dalet, Chesta, take her to the Vione, we'll teach her how to obey!" The two young men who apparently were Dalet and Chesta looked about her age and grabbed her as Dilandau instructed.   
  
Artemis pulled herself out of their grasp and stomped up to Dilandau. "Perhaps you don't recognize me, Dilandau, I am the daughter of Migu--" she was cut short as Dilandau pushed Dalet and Chesta to the ground and put his arm over her collarbones and pulled her down.   
  
"I frankly don't give a damn who you are! No one, not even my superiors, ever treat me that way!" He let her go and as she regained her balance and as she did, he slapped her on the right cheek. Hard. Artemisia took the pain in, as she had a good threshold, even though her right cheek was throbbing.   
  
"Why, did you use them as a human shield to protect you, coward?" Artemisia needed a chance to get back at him. She knew that the one thing the people of the Zaibach Empire hated was cowardice and dishonour.   
  
Artemisia had made a spectacle of herself and knew her family wasn't around as they would try to reason with Dilandau. Like that would work! This had made him really angry, even angrier than he was when she slapped him.   
  
"One more word out of that mouth of yours and you'll answer to the dungeon!" Dilandau was almost spitting into her face. He threw her on the ground and motioned for Gatti and Dalet to pick her up. They did as was told and dropped her after a few steps. Dilandau slapped them at their incompetence and picked Artemisia up himself, who was light in his arms, heading towards the famed Vione, one of Zaibach's floating fortresses.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: yeah, i know the whole thing was a little weird. but i had to get them together sumhow! about her family abandoning her, they kinda didn't mean to, they just thought she was with them. just pretend they've just noticed she was gone. this is just my first attempt at a dilly romance, so sorry if there are sum errors! I'm also going to change the title. it's either burn it black or sumthing that symbolizes luv. wut should it be? newayz, until next time, ja ne!   
  
La Femme Voxxe  
  
2002-2004 


	2. Slave

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 2: Esclavo  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Escaflowne; the countries of Gaia, Gaia itself, the characters, except Artemis Parnassus and her family. And yes, i would like to own them, cuz then i wouldn't have to write these! Oh yeah, I also don't own the title. Burn it Black is a song by Injected on the Scorpion King Soundtrack.   
  
A/N: Here's another chapter of Burn it Black! Artemis is in the dungeon and she meets the dragon slayers, another prisoner and begins to understand Dilandau. Carry on..! btw, just to make it easier for me with the tenses and so I won't give anything away, it's gonna b from each characters perspective (in first person!)! Artemis is for this chapter and the next chapter is for...Dilly!   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Artemisia::   
  
Thoughts of escaping began to fill my mind as I sat there, listening to who I think was the guard about my behaviour.   
  
"You should know better than to stand up while Lord Dilandau and the Generals of Zaibach are walking through!   
  
"We here at the Vione don't want our prisoners to do nothing while they are here. You must go through labour which involve chores, cleaning your chamber and preparing the meals for the dragon slayers and Lord Dilandau, who prefers to be called Dilandau-sama and never Dilly."   
  
I stared at the floor in shame, not being observant enough to know that Dilandau or Lord Dilandau was behind me. I mean, it was an honest mistake yet I knew the real reason that I was here was that I had slapped him. I would have not slapped him, had it not been for his attitude! Yes, I know he has power and people should comply yet what's with the attitude! For all that, he should be the one in the chambers! However, I knew better than to speak the truth again. Finally, I looked up.   
  
"Yes, I'll get to that, Sir..." I trailed off, not knowing who this man was.   
  
"Strategos Folken to you, and from your time here, you will be called Aurélie. Is that clear?" Folken said.   
  
Damn, I thought. Why can't I use my own name? I better not tell anyone it, I have to do this on my own. Oh, so his name is Folken.   
  
"Now come to my chambers and you can pick up your new clothes," he said, motioning to me to follow him.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I came out of his chambers, holding my clothes. His chambers were ample, no doubt yet they lacked the comfort of my own room no matter how grand it was. The walls were black, the bed and furniture were metal and there was a large window facing the outside of the Vione, showing a beautiful view of fluffy white clouds.   
  
Thinking back to what was happening now, I looked down at the clothes on my arm. They were nothing like what I was used to wearing, lacking style and elegance. The top was very simple. It was a crystal blue vintage peasant blouse with the fabric gathered at the top. Drawstrings were held up there and the ruffled shirt was off shoulder. The ivory skirt was like the same. It was ruffled at ankle length and had an overall vintage look. There was one elegant hair tie that came with the outfit and I was informed that I was supposed to wear it when cleaning or preparing meals. The shoe's were oxford's and it came with matching pantyhose. I changed into the servant clothes and dragged myself back to where Folken was standing.   
  
"Now Aurélie, go to your room. It's passed the entrance on the left wing of the Vione. Evelyn here will help you find it," Folken said, motioning for a young looking girl to direct me.   
  
Evelyn directed me back to the entrance of the Vione as I saw Dilandau staring at me, a malicious look in his eyes.   
  
"Never look back at them," Evelyn said. She continued ,"It is a sign of disrespect and you must bow before them if they are Royals or Generals." It wasn't like I didn't know this, I had to pretend not to. No one bowed down to me yet our kitchen servant said she worked for a Zaibach General and you would receive a slap for not bowing in their presence.   
  
We continued down the hallway towards my room as Evelyn showed me where the powder rooms were and where the bathrooms were. Evelyn led me to our room as I walked in, closing the door behind me.   
  
"This is where you and I shall be when we are not working or eating. You sleep at the one on the right," she pointed to the bed on the right and sat down on the bed that was hers.   
  
"First, you must go to Lord Dilandau's room, clean up there and then clean the halls, this room, the bathrooms..." Evelyn said, saying the chores off a list. "Here," she said, handing my the list, "these are your chores for the week. They change yet most of the time they are very irregular." I scanned the list as my lips curved into a frown. I never had to do things like this at my home. However, I must do this on my own.   
  
Evelyn got up from the bed and walked towards the door. Just before she left she said, "I have to start my chores now, you should too. Lord Dilandau gets very grumpy about the cleanliness of his room." I wasn't in the mood for cleaning nor was I in the mood for meeting with Dilandau again. I was tempted to tell Evelyn my true identity however I just went up to her and told her my name was Aurélie here. She looked at me, smiled and said, "I know." She gave me directions to Dilandau's chambers and informed me that he should be there. Terrific, I thought.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I took a broom by the supply door and walked to Dilandau's room, following Evelyn's specific directions. The hall was grand, even more so than my own hall at home. There were granite floors, again black walls and the air was cold.   
  
I finally found Dilandau's chambers and braced myself for the worst. I walked in slowly, opening the door so no one would hear. To my luck, Dilandau wasn't there! I was amazed at what I saw. The walls were black, like the rest of the rooms I saw and there was a small window, letting in some light through the glass. The floors here matched the granite floors and I noticed the dirt on them. There was a bed off to the side with black satin sheets, a night table by that and a lamp. They had electricity here which was a very rare luxury on Gaia and there also was a tap with hot and cold water which was rare too. There was a desk on the far across the bed, a mahogany dresser and a full length mirror beside it. Probably to gaze at himself for hours, I thought, remembering his obsession about his looks. I had to admit, he was quite handsome.   
  
Thinking back to what was happening now, I took the broom in my hand and began sweeping, trying to get rid of the dirt on the floor. I was being very cautious about what Evelyn said and kept my head down if he came in any given moment. I was done up to the bed when I heard the lock a door click open. I looked up at the entrance of the room and sensed someone else behind me, possibly coming out from one of the bathrooms. I bowed, not knowing who it was, looking down at the floor never looking up at their face. "I'm so sorry Sir for not acknowledging your presence," I said seeming to plead for their forgiveness.   
  
"I assume you know your manners now," the person said in a baritone voice. Whoever it was, I realized was probably a highborn.   
  
"Get up. You must be my new servant. You only bow before me in front of others from now on. We're alone, there's no need to," he said. He held out a hand for me and I took it, wondering who this was.   
  
I looked up at him, at first smiling then realizing who it was: Dilandau! I stared into those garnet eyes as I feared for my life again. He looked into mine and was shocked. I looked down at the floor, silently cursing my bad sense of direction when I got lost in that emporium. "I'm very sorry for what I did earlier, Lord Dilandau-sama. I knew better," I said trying to sound regretful for what I did because I really was.   
  
Dilandau's look of shock quickly turned into a look of anger. He tried to stay calm as he wasn't supposed to be angry at any female, regardless of their status. However, with a personality like his, he couldn't control it. "You bitch! How could you slap me! No one does that!" he said with evident anger. Dilandau grabbed me by the arm, pulling me towards him taking his hand into the air about to slap me, again. I looked at it, tears now streaming down my cheeks.   
  
"Please, I'm so sorry, Dilandau-sama, I didn't know!" I pleaded.   
  
"STOP!" a baritone voice exclaimed as Dilandau's hand came towards my face. I blocked his hand, which was one of the things I had to keep up with while assassinating; my reflexes. I looked behind me as I saw Folken stalking towards us. He told Dilandau to let go of me and he did, reluctantly.   
  
Folken said another servant would clean up Dilandau's room and said Dilandau will make a formal apology at supper. Folken was pushing me out of Dilandau's room by the back as I saw Dilandau wave teasingly at me and said loud enough so I could hear Dilandau said sarcastically. I was enraged! I ran from Folken as he tried to take me back up to Dilandau and tackled him, hating him more than ever. I dug my nails into his skin trying to scar his beloved face as I heard his lilting laugh. Folken grabbed me from behind as I was dragged away. At least now, I probably didn't have to clean for him anymore.   
  
A/N: Well, minna-san, that's all for now! i'm starting to write chapter 3, but inspiration isn't coming as quickly as I expected! I've got so much homework right now and I've got to finish my art and science! well, ja ne! 


	3. Innocence

The Lady Killer   
  
Chapter 3: Inocencia  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I won the story and I adapt the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.   
  
A/N: Well, it has been a month hasn't it? Well, this time it's in the perspective of Dilandau. Events occur after the last chapter to avoid confusion. sorrie if Dilly seems a bit OOC as this fic does have its flaws but just live with that! In my opinion, he does seem better like a normal dude yet we all still love him as that insane guy on esca who tries to kill everyone and seems kinda attracted to Van! (sorrie, i just had to break it to ya!)   
  
::Dilandau::   
  
I glanced at Aurélie one last time before Folken carried her out of my chambers. I saw the rage in her amethyst eyes as she met my garnet ones. I noticed her face for once and noticed the beauty of it, even with those servant clothes on. No, I can't focus on some servant! I must plan on how to destroy Van and that backwoods country of his, I thought. It was true. I would never let anything get in the way of my destruction of Fanelia, especially some girl I could care less about. With that, I changed into something that was cleaner than my armour.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Get up!" I looked down at Gatti, who was sleeping on a chair, his arms crossed. When he heard my sudden cry, he bolted up from the fine chair and ran out the room to bring the other dragon slayers with him for finner. Gatti was always ready to comply.   
  
I heard footsteps come closer to me and knew it was them. Finally, when they had all gathered around me, they followed me towards the kitchens.   
  
We entered the dining room, with its grand black walls, marble dining table and silk chairs. Though the overall look of the dining room lacked character, I felt comfortable and was used to the design. A large window showing a breathtaking view of the Ispanian skies was behind the marble table, giving a refined ray of light to the table.   
  
All the servants entered and bowed down to us--actually me--, never metting my intimidating garnet eyes. The dragon slayers and I took seats towards the end of the table as Folken and the Generals of Zaibach would be joining us shortly and taking the seats at the head of the table.   
  
I glanced at the servants who would be preparing our dinner tonight and my eyes fell upon Aurélie. She caught my gaze and quickly stared back down at the floor, walking back to the kitchen. Though she hated me, I thought she was quite lovely. Even in that skirt and that ruffled shirt I still saw the beauty-what am I thinking?-I couldn't admire some inferior servant at all yet I felt drawn to her somehow, wanting to protect her from something. I broke the gaze of emptiness and back at the table.   
  
As the remaining servants went back to the kitchens, Folken or Strategos Folken to me and the Generals of Zaibach walked in defiantly, as everyone bowed. Even me.   
  
The servant from the kitchen came back to our table, carrying various types food of with them. They all seemed delicious and I saw Aurélie again bringing Gatti's dinner, who was sitting on my left side. Folken looked me in the eye, then quickly at Aurélie who seemed oblivious to this. From this, I remembered my formal apology I had to address to her and silently cursed.   
  
The servants quickly finished giving the food to the remaining people and I knew now would be a good time to deliver my apology to Aurélie. I gently hit the glass goblet with my spoon to gather everyone's attention. I stood up.   
  
"Good evening Strategos Folken, the Generals of Zaibach and my dragon slayers," I said, eyeing everyone in the room. I continued, "Earlier this evening, I heedlessly assaulted a young slave unfairly. I lost her trust and respect in me as her master and prevented any friendship between us. I apologize to Aurélie for misbehaving and acting recklessly towards her. I'm asking for you, Aurélie," I said, looking into her amethyst eyes, "to accept my apology and embark on a fresh start. So do you accept my apology?" Good. My damned apology to that paltry girl was over. Everyone looked at me oddly at first, surprised that I managed to make this apology sincere for the first time and they were disgusted at the fact that I almost hit her. Aurélie nodded for her acceptance of my apology and curtsied. I noticed her slightly flayed cheek which she probably received when I slapped her in the emporium. She deserved it, I thought. Everyone clapped and I was relieved that my apology was finally over.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
After dinner, Folken congratulated me one my first sincere apology. After all, I'm not famous for making sincere apologies.   
  
I walked into my room to change into loose clothes for sleeping. As I opened the door, I saw Aurélie there, with her broomstick and dustpan. She looked quite innocent, compared to what she was doing earlier this morning.   
  
As I walked towards her, she turned around and looked down at the floor, suspecting it was me. She curtsied and thanked me for apologizing to her. I bent down and I lifted her delicate head up with her chin in my hand. I looked into her sultry eyes and said, "Where are you from? I've never seen you since earlier today in Ispano yet I know I saw you before."   
  
Aurélie was looking down to the floor before she answered. No doubt was she petrified. "I'm afraid I've never met you before today either. I'm from Ispano and my family name is..." she paused for a moment as if she had forgotten who she was. "...Allendes. My real name is Christabelle Allendes," she finished. Christabelle Allendes. What a beautiful name I thought. I let go of her and walked back into the washroom, to get ready for the next day...   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Well, that's another chapter of burn it balck for ya! yeah, it's practically summer vaca and I have tons of time to think about writing! I'm still kinda having trouble finding a situation for artemisia and dilandau to get together but I'm gonna try to figure out one! well ciao and have a nice summer!   
  
La Femme Voxxe  
  
2003-2004 


	4. Death

The Lady Killer   
  
Chapter 4: Muerte  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.   
  
A/N: Well, it has been a month hasn't it? Well, this time it's in the perspective of Dilandau. sorrie if Dilly seems a bit OOC (i'm serious, him falling in luv wif a gurl?) in dis chappie! I also made them go to Ispano too went they went to go attack fanelia. they start to find luv and they each begin to understand each other's disposition and Dilandau starts getting close to Artemis when he saves her!   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Artemisia::   
  
I woke up early in the morning as I heard guymelefs drifting off the Vione. I looked on as I knew not all of them would come back. A tear cascaded down my cheek as I knew they were headed straight for Fanelia, to destroy it as well as its royal and citizens. I withdrew from the window as the clatter from the guymelefs left the Vione.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Later that day, I took the post from the foyer to deliver it. I walked to Lord Dilandau and Strategos Folken's rooms as they were for them. I read over them trying to see if any of them were of any importance to me, although I wasn't supposed to.   
  
As I reached Dilandau's room, I dropped my jaw and fell to the floor. One of the messages was for Strategos Folken regarding my family:   
  
Dear Strategos Folken,   
  
With the rise of tragic and horrific events we as a country have seen, we are sorry to inform you that we have seen the worst. The only person who could have aided us in this war has died at this moon at the first quarter. Lord Miguel Parnassus has died with wounds to the neck, stomach and left wrist. We found his body in the river with three open slits on the neck, a large one on the stomach and a large cut on the wrist. No one was in the boat and he could have committed suicide. A sickle was found on the boat tainted with blood. Dornkirk is asking for you to come and help investigate on this case. Lord Miguel Parnassus left behind his wife and two children. One of his two children is a young boy at the age of ten by the name of Rodrigo Parnassus and the other is the missing Lady Artemisia Parnassus whom we intend to find. He is reunited with his daughter Evangelina Parnassus who died two years ago. We are deeply sorry that Zaibach and Ispano's best assassin has died at the age of fifty-four.   
  
Sincerely,   
  
Lord Alejandro Hernandez   
  
I tried brushing away the tears in my eyes because they dripped on the parchment. With this, I knew Folken would suspect that I had peaked at the letter, yet it didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now. I dumped Dilandau's messages on his bed and ran to Folken's laboratory, knowing he had to be there. I opened the door and walked in.   
  
"Here, Strategos Folken. I'm deeply sorry," I said. I knew he would find out that I had read the message. I was going to find out anyhow and it does concern my family, so did it really matter? I saw his expression as he read it with surprise, then sorrow, then anger.   
  
He asked, "Why is this wet? It didn't rain today," he said with disgust of the event. With that, I began to leave, yet he took my arm and drew me closer to him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Strategos Folken! I did read the letter, yet it was out of pure curiosity!"   
  
"That's fine. Tell me, Aurélie what is your real name?"   
  
"It's Isabella Allende, Strategos Folken. I'm of no importance right now, I have to finish my chores,"   
  
"Allende...that's an Ispanian name. The Allende were colleagues of the Parnassus's. They found the victims for the Parnassus' and helped carry them out when they could," said Folken, his voice dripping with boldness.   
  
At this point, his words made me cry so much from my lies that I nearly confessed. "Yes, Strategos, I am an Allende, a colleague of the Parnassus'." Secretly, I hated the Allende's. They were like our rivals yet shielded their jealousy with their aid. Sierra was the older sister of Christabelle. Christabelle was the youngest daughter and the one whom everyone believe killed my older sister considering they both loved the same man, Folken. However, I believed she hadn't considering they were friends before they saw Folken. Christabelle disappeared after the death of Evangelina. They hated us too and would take our place at any given moment.   
  
"No you're not. The exact hour we found you was when the Parnassus' reported their missing daughter. I've met both families and to be quite honest, you look more like a Parnassus' than an Allendes."   
  
"Stop, what are you doing, that's a cut!" I lied.   
  
He took my arm and undid the binding on my forearm, as I tried to take his hands away from my arm without any success. He let go and behind the binding was the blue-eyed sparrow. "I'm terribly sorry...Artemisia." at this point, I was bawling as the truth unleashed itself from his words.   
  
Folken put the message down and said, "I know how hard it is to lose your family. I lost mine when I tried to defeat that dragon.   
  
"If you'd like, I won't tell anyone, unless of course, you don't want to be a servant anymore," he finished.   
  
"I'm fine! I can make this on my own! Besides, someone is going to kill me if I leave this place!"   
  
With that last statement, I bowed down at Folken and left the room.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Later today, I came out to the port of the Vione to watch the dragon slayers return. I knew they had burned Fanelia to bits, from Dilandau's evil cackle that echoed horribly in my mind. As I had guessed earlier, not all the dragon slayers returned. Dilandau came out of the Alseides and began jumping towards us. I admit, sometimes he could act like a complete moron. He walked through the foyer and gave this huge explanation about how he burned Fanelia. When Folken came in, it was only then that he stopped and went back to the entrance. Folken motioned to me to see what they were going to do and if I could help the injured. Still remembering my present status, I followed suit.   
  
The sun was bright and burning my eyes as I walked out. Most looked hurt and compared to Dilandau, they seemed like they had their energy sucked out from them. I saw Gatti's cut arm, the healers around him and immediately went to wrap it up. As I finished wrapping his arm in the bandage, I saw a light catch my eye. It wasn't bright like the sun but more opaque and similar to moonlight. Apparently, everyone else noticed it as well. A body of a dragon emerged from the moonlight and everyone seemed to think it was just another dragon. I thought otherwise. As it came closer to view, I could make out the details and found that it was a mechanical dragon! Similar to the white dragon, its drag-energist shown brightly, yet it was black as hell.   
  
As everyone noticed this, they began to run as arrows flew out from the sky! They seemed to be directed at me! One arrow shot from afar came speeding towards my chest and I caught it. Dilandau, looking slightly worried that I could have died ran over and caught me before another arrow was shot into the sunlit sky, just grazing my neck. He took me back into the Vione.   
  
"Are you all right?" asked Dilandau, sounding more bona fide than I ever imagined he could be.   
  
"I'm fine," I replied, though small drips of blood poured from the wound.   
  
"Your neck is bleeding!"   
  
"I said I was fine."   
  
He seemed challenged by my response.   
  
"I should take you to the infirmary!" He pulled me to me feet and took me to the main hall.   
  
I pulled him away, "I'm fine, I can go there by myself, Lord Dilandau."   
  
Surprisingly, he stood by my side. "How did you catch that arrow?"   
  
"I don't think that's very important."   
  
With my last response, he eyed me oddly, possibly believing that I didn't have the strength nor the reflexes to catch the arrow. It's a pity he doesn't know my true identity, I thought with the sudden urge to tell him that. After all, with a Parnassus on Zaibach's side, it would surely help them win the Great War.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N2: I'm listening to techno! go me! pump those gino beats! ppl used to call me gina! lol! well that's it! holy crap! guess wot? my comp got like two viruses and it screwed the whole thing up! it only stayed on for like 45 min. then it crashed! then my cousin fixed sum of it by deleteing the whole hard drive (including this) cuz he had to and reinstalled windows. then, the comp only stayed on for like 10 min at the most and this really pissed me off! i got it back on the 8th from the comp shop! yay! it only costed 60 bux! That weekend, me and my sis downloaded kazaa, netscape, (the newest version, 7.0! soz the composer's much better!) mp3 converter, media player and everything! now we haf all or programs back! yay!   
  
A/N3: omg! i was so nervous today! my dance class had our first recital type thing! we performed in front of the gr.11's and 12's for the rememberance day assembly wif the other class! i felt so nervous! i was like shaking! the whole audience hushed when we did our dance and i screwed up the placement, again! i remember way back when in gr. 7 i screwed up the timing! then we all did our ending and we all didn't noe wen to start! no really noticed my placement problem! my dance teacher always pushes me into place cuz i'm the littlest dancer in the class! 


	5. Autopsy

The Lady Killer   
  
Chapter 5: Autopsia  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus'. I won the story and I adapt the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.   
  
A/N: Yeah, I noe i changed her name from artemis to artemisia, but lets pretend that artemisia is her full name! letz pretend dat artemis is her nick name, or sumfing! now y'all noe bout evelyn being the actual christabelle allendes. I'll explain more in dis chapter about how she is the actual one and why. Also, i reveal sum secets about evangelina's death and yeah! carry on...   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Dilandau::   
  
He couldn't just kill himself, I thought as I sat alone on my bed, clad in my armour, thinking about the suicide of Lord Miguel. Aurélie had come in to clean earlier and she didn't seem too happy when I mentioned Lord Miguel's death. She was almost crying. Although his death needs to be fully investigated with an autopsy and all, I still can't believe he's gone. I wonder where his daughter-- my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.   
  
"Dilandau?" called a strong yet calm voice.   
  
"Yes?" I called back.   
  
"This is Folken, Dilandau."   
  
I opened the immense oak doors with intricate carvings to reveal Strategos Folken with what looked like a report in his hand. "What's that?"   
  
Folken glanced at the paper in his hand and said, "I'll tell you." I motioned for him to sit on my chaise longue.   
  
"We are doing an autopsy on Lord Miguel's body and we're investigateing the scene and we've found some interesting things. First of all,we found other fingerprints on the knife, that weren't his. He seemed to have a good struggle before he died and his undertaker should be more skilled as he was, which is quite rare. Secondly, his wounds showed no clotting so they were inflicted after he had died. Thirdly, the slit on the stomach was to release any buoyant gases. Basically, he was murdered and we believe his killer is still at large and wants us to find him/her. This is a report of what we found so far."   
  
Folken handed me the report.   
  
I opened the folder to reveal what the report read. It was only three quaters of a page and it looked messy yet the information had to be written quickly. At the top, there was a list of the investigators including Folken, Lord Alejandro, some of my dragonslayers, Dr. Stuyvesan, his team, and a medical journalist who wrote this, Ms. Jensen. The beginning read of where the body was located and how they thought Lord Parnassus was killed. Similar to what Folken said, the following paragraphs described graphically what they found in his body with the autopsy later in the labs. It continued to state that they will begin the autopsy and would finish later this week.   
  
"Dilandau, the investigators sent me to get you to that site. Just don't burn anything. Lord Dornkirk will be there as well so behave," said Folken as I finished reading the report.   
  
"Fine but I can't stay long, nor can the dragonslayers that you sent there. We have to get back for training."   
  
"Certainly, Dilandau."   
  
Folken followed me to the transport waiting by the Vione port. We got in and headed to Ispano.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Hello, Lord Dilandau." greeted Chesta, "You have to follow me. This way," he added.   
  
He led me through the doors of a large circular building. It had a stone exterior with a series of vines growing in the front part of the building, up to the windows at the top, from my perspective. There were seven small windows situated across the front of the buildin. The doors were made of redwood and had carvings of two serpents facing each other, the rest of their long bodies coiled at the foot of the door, all of which was carved in great detail.   
  
The interior of the building was simple. The foyer had simple hardwood floors and a placid water fountain was set in the centre of the foyer. There was no scond floor and the seven small windows above lit the interior up a bit. Seven doors made a semi-circle around the fountain. The doors themselves were simple and, like the entrance door were made of redwood and had the simple Ispanian designs on them with five curved lines formed from a point on the lower right hand corner of the door. A chandelier was held up above by a strong wire and a switch was placed beside the front door on my right. Seven windows aligned above the door let the sun's rays spill in, during the day.   
  
"In here, Lord Dilandau," Chesta said as he showed me to the third door from the left.   
  
I opened the door and walked in and saw a change of clothes, a cover cap, gloves and a safety mask, covering the mouth on a metal table. The room was quite small, with one curved stone wall and the other walls that joined that were on a slight angle.   
  
"Change into these and I'll meet you at the door to tell you what to do," Chesta instructed as he left me in the room.   
  
I took off my day armour and changed into the strange looking outfit before me. I took one look in the mirror and walked out of the room to see Chesta leaning against the wall beside the door. He pointed to the room two doors on my left. He headed towards it and I followed his lead. I knew what was behind that door.   
  
Chesta and I entered the room and I walked up to the table. The room was sterile and I had to take in the stench of the dead body. The cabinets were brushed metal and there was a pool of water nearby. There was a table in the centre which held the body which was cut up a bit and surrounding it were three people who wore the same outfit as I did.   
  
Referring to the report Folken gave me, I assumed the one in the middle was Dr.Stuyvesan, and the people on the side were, as I assumed, part of his team of doctors. One young and fresh looking red-haried woman wore the same outfit and me and she had some paper with her perhaps for recording what the team was doing. I assumed she was Ms.Jensen.   
  
Dr.Stuyvesan, or whoever it was held out his hand. I shook it as he greeted me. "Good evening, Lord Dilandau, I am Dr.Stuyvesan. This on my right is Dr.Mercedes Stadnicki and to my left is Dr.Astrid Tirado." He pointed to the red-haired woman standing nearby. "That's as you probably know is Ms.Jensen. She wrote the report Folken must have given you earlier. She will be recording some information."   
  
Chesta stood beside the pool of water where a tray of tools were held, where I assumed he would hand them to the doctors.   
  
I shook hands with Dr. Stuyvesan and Dr.Stadnicki and Dr.Tirado.   
  
"Your friend Chesta here will help you with the understanding of what we find in Lord Parnassus's body and after this, you will receive a full report from Ms.Jensen.   
  
"Dr.Stadnicki and Dr.Tirado here are experienced doctors and helped discover what was in Lord Parnassus's body. We have worked a bit on what caused the wound and now we are working on the tissue."   
  
Then Dr.Tirado spoke, "I understand Strategos Folken brought you here to just look on what we're doing, so that's the reason you're wearing that."   
  
I looked down at my outfit. "Yes, I was wondering why I was wearing this. You must understand that I can't be here too long. The dragon slayers and I have to return to the Vione for training," I stated.   
  
"Folken informed me about that already," declared Ms.Jensen with a half smile.   
  
Dr.Stuyvesan looked at Dr.Stadnicki and Dr.Tirado. "Let's continue. We should finish examining the tissue in a little more than a 16th of the moon." (A/N: in other words, about an hour or more. I made that one up!)   
  
He looked at Chesta. "Pass me the scalpel." When he took it, he cut into a piece of flesh for the tissue as Chesta flinched.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Yeah, my knowledge of meds isn't dat bad! well, i used my med term dictionary and it helped somewhat. I didn't know you could cough out blood after pregnancy. I also didn't noe aortic stenosis was the narrowing of the valve leading from the heart into the aorta! well, enuf ov dis med crap! I'm finally started writing chapter 6 and it'll b up nxt month! sku's back an all, so it'll ba while! ciao! 


	6. Acceptance

The Lady Killer   
  
Chapter 6: Aceptación   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I won the story and I adapt the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.  
  
A/N: Yay! New chappie! I finally updated all the other chapters! My comp iz so much better now [so happy! the keyboard works now!]! i finally get to the romance in this chapter! yay! x-mas is almost nxt week! nxt week is the last week of sku! i haf to get my gifts and stuff! Well, by now, its prolly the nxt year since i wrote this so, yeah...On wednesday, i get the day off! well, i get to go on a trip to toronto for a dance thingy! haf fun at sku! lil nerds! j/k! carry on...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Artemisia::  
  
The sound of the transports startled me as they started coming in from the Vione. I looked out at them through the window and opened the portal.   
  
I knew they were in my home country, doing an autopsy on my father's body.   
  
Like most girls, my life would change forever at the death of my father, yet it didn't; I'm trapped here. My father always pushed to to the top like a coach would to a player. My father never acted like a normal girl's would, only when he chose a husband for me; none of which were 'suitable' for me. In a way my heart is full, yet some part of me is missing.   
  
I sat down on the chair, as a single tear cascaded down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away as I heard footsteps accompanied with voices down the marble hall. I stood up from my chair and greeted Dilandau and some of the dragonslayers. By now I knew all fifteen of them, yet there were only five of them there. I curtsied for Dilandau and welcomed him back. He took a step forward and took me to his room, ordering the other dragonslayers to freshen up.   
  
Dilandau told me to sit on his bed as he sat on it next to me. He looked deep into my eyes for a while as I started smiling.   
  
'I should have done this a few nights ago, however certain events got in the way. After the ambush from only the Goddess knows what, I believe you would make the perfect personal assistant. With this job, you will not have to clean my chambers or live in the servant quarters. Instead, someone else will do it and you will take the guest room beside mine. I'll arrange this with Folken. Will you accept my offer?'  
  
I gazed into his deep garnet orbs; astonished. Something about the way he said it seemed forced. Dilandau hated me from the beginning and at this moment, he seemed completely comfortable with me. Not just anyone could become his assistant, I didn't even know such a position existed in the Vione. Assuming my suspicions were correct, I questioned him.  
  
'Whose idea was this? I know you hate me, Dilandau. You wouldn't have hit me if you didn't. I'm just the simple girl no one could care less about. If I die, no one would even notice, not even me. Why are you asking this of me? I'm the last person you would want in this room. You even complained when Folken wanted me here.' I was making my points clear.  
  
'I did not hit you, I merely threatened you. You can't recognize a good thing when it's right in front of you, can you, Aurelie? You think I hate everything about you; but you're wrong. I grew very fond of your these past few weeks, that is why I offered this to you. If you can't understand that, I am aware of it,' he said, looking into my eyes the whole time. He broke his gaze as he entwined my fingers with his.  
  
I looked down at my hand as I responded. 'I'll accept your offer on the condition that this is all based on the fact that it's your own idea; not Folken's.' I said.  
  
'I guarentee it, Aurelie,' he said as he got up. He let go of my fingers as I stared at his back exiting the room. I looked back at the duvet and fell asleep there, not aware of what would happen next...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I woke up in the wake of the morning. All was quiet and I knew I wasn't in the servant's quarters. I looked around me and found myself in Dilandau's bed. I could sense someone else in the room and I put my hand to my face, blocking the sun from my eyes.   
  
It was Folken.  
  
'So I see you two are more than getting along,' he stated, his tone dripping with anger.  
  
'Folken, you must understand that Dilandau has the best of intentions.'  
  
'You stopped saying 'Lord' Artemisia. It's against the policy. You must understand that, Aurelie. A person in Dilandau's position cannot fall in love with a girl like you.'  
  
'I simply fell asleep here. Do not address me by Artemisia! Dilandau doesn't know yet! You should be questioning him anyway, he came here after and didn't move my body. Why are you here anyway?'  
  
'I came to wake Dilandau up. What were you doing in his room anyway?'  
  
'That is none of your business, Lord Folken. You shouldn't be here right now.' Dilandau stepped into the room as Folken spun his head around.  
  
He glanced at me in his bed and looked up at Folken. 'I'm up, Folken. You must leave.'  
  
Folken looked at Dilandau, 'Just be careful, Dilandau.' Dilandau nodded and sat down beside me.  
  
'Where did u sleep last night?' I asked, curious.  
  
'On your bed, where else? I figured I'd leave you here because you seemed so peaceful...you know you're quite angelic and calm-looking when you're asleep. Not that anger-filled Aurélie we all know of, or at least the one I know of,' he responded, answering my question for once.  
  
'Is that your version of a compliment?' I inquired, my arms crossed.  
  
'Yes, now come...I need you for something,' he said as I followed him.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Yeah, i had to end it there! the chapter woz gettin too long and i haf to go to sleep soon! xmas eve! [well, prolly not by the time ur reading this!] i just finished watching moulin rouge agen! lol! Folken kinda reminds me of Zidler! but, arty isn't a ho! dilly isn't a penniless writer! on to da nxt chappie!  
  
© 2004 La Femme Voxxe 


	7. Training

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 7: Entrenamiento   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for Artemisia and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label  
  
A/N: ok, i just started this and thank u readers for hanging on to me! I really appreciate you reading this and the whole chapter and reviewing, as it makes me very happy! k, my netscape composer iz being very evil rite now! yay! i noe enuf html to change sum of the times new roman font back to my fav, verdana! i had a dream about fonts one day! wen i tell ppl about it, they think i'm crazie! CUZ I AM! sorriez about the caps, it's really early, as u can c! they're like '@ least i'm not the one dreaming about fonts!'...shiro needs sleep rite now, so read this chappie=) TOOOOOOOOOOOO MANY PROJECTS DIS HOLIDAY! EVIL TEACHERS TRYIN TO MAKE MY HEAD ESPLODE!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Dilandau::  
  
Folken said he wanted us to get closer together. It just happened. I have lots of time to tell her the truth considering she'll be around me for a while. She is absolutely beautiful, without a doubt. However, she is far too insecure for Dilandau-sama. I could see the envy in Folken's eyes when he was speaking with Aurélie. Am I feeling jealousy? What does Artemisia, the daughter of the late Lord Parnassus have to do with me. I knew exactly who she is. Or do I?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Dilandau! C'mon! I have all your equipment!' I heard Aurélie exclaim from the door as I rose from my desk.   
  
She stood in front of the doorway connecting our rooms. She had already moved to the next room and received a new wardrobe for this job. A flowing white bohemian skirt hugged around her slim waist and it suited her well because it contrasted with her light bronze skin. She wore a lacy red tube top that fit perfectly around her torso with a thin white tube top underneath. I gazed at her, intrigued, hoping she didn't notice. To my dismay, she looked down at her beige strap sandals. 'I don't like it when people look at me like that, Dilandau.'  
  
I apologized instantly. 'Sorry, Aurélie. I'll be coming in a moment. I put on my shirt and my uniform and rushed out the door to meet Aurélie.   
  
She kept her eyes locked on the ground, avoiding my eyes at all costs. Her hands were trembling, I never thought she could be so nervous. 'Why are you nervous, Aurélie?' I asked, not expecting to receive a reply.  
  
'I'm sorry, Dilandau. I am not used to looking into my master's eyes,' she stated, gazing at me.   
  
While we were walking down the hall, she quickly grabbed my arm and stopped in her tracks. I looked down at her. Aurélie looked up at me, pleading to me in her eyes. 'Dilandau, I haven't been myself since I met you in the emporium. Please, give me strength and teach me to be fearless, as I was. I cannot live by being fragile!' She pulled me closer to her, her eyes becoming wilder, as if this was what she wanted most.   
  
'I rather like the way you are now, Aurélie. No part of you should be changed.'  
  
'You may like me, yet I hate everything about my being. I am fragile and you seem to like me more because of this. I do not want to be used again, for it ceases to please me.'  
  
I took her hands off my uniform. I gazed at her in astonishment. Looking into my eyes the whole time, she stood silent. Her eyes were growing wild and I paused. I remember the first time I met her, which could have been a month ago. She was fierce, and objected me whenever I approached her. I knew I was the one who silenced her and she needed to gain freedom and confidence once again. Over time as I grew kinder to her, she weakened as her soul did as well. No doubt was she concerned about it. 'Answer me, Dilandau!' her eyes were wild like fire, burning as her anger grew.  
  
'You have changed Aurélie. I can train you, if that is what you want. Just calm down, you're not acting like yourself. I know you must not like your insecure self, yet I can guarantee you that I did not take advantage of you,' I said, suave [A/N: I LUV that shampoo!] as I could. I wasn't sure if I did take advantage of her because she was weak. Considering how she exploded, I didn't want her to become even more angry with me than she was already!  
  
All of a sudden, she calmed down. She had finally listened to me. Her face wasn't scowling anymore and she looped my arm in hers. She was beaming. I didn't know what to think of her at the moment. One moment, she blew up at me and the next, she was calm. There certainly ws something wrong with her...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
'I'm not wearing those!' Aurélie said, disgusted at the sight of the black shorts I was holding up to her.  
  
'You'll have to, Aurélie. You don't want your undergarments to show now, do you?' She seemed taken by my response. Quickly, she grabbed the shorts from me and went behind the changing covers. At the Vione, there are no female vicinities except for the female washrooms. The gym we were in was designed strictly for males. I stared at her silhouette as the dragon slayers entered.  
  
'Lord Dilandau, what are you looking at?' asked Gatti. who had come in first.   
  
I spun around to look at him. 'We have a guest here today. She is my friend, Aurélie,' I said, looking at the changing covers again.   
  
'I didn't think you'd have any female 'friends'!' exclaimed Gatti. I slapped him across the face. A red mark emerged from his left cheek.  
  
'Apologize for that remark, Gatti.'  
  
'I'm terribly sorry, Lord Dilandau-sama.'  
  
At that moment, Aurélie stepped out from behind the changing curtains and all eyes were on her. She was in leather slip-on shoes and she wore her white tank top. Her hair was tied back in a bun and she looked around at me and the dragon slayers. Her legs were two slender sticks that branched out from her hips. Her arms were slender and her collarbones seemed more hollow than before. This was possibly the first time a non noble woman hadn't worn the traditional skirt.   
  
'Here is Aurélie. She wants me to train her regularly and she will along with all of you,' I said, as all the dragon slayers' eyes were on Aurélie. I took her wrist and dragged her to the exercise mat. The whole evening we trained and Aurélie was quite tolerant about it. I never thought that she would be, however the night of the flying black dragon struck a memory.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
'Thank you Dilly!' said Aurélie. She seemed to be waiting for something as she stood there, in her day clothes. Our bags were all packed up and we were heading back to my chambers. The dragon slayers were probably testing her to see if I would slap her now. Aurélie seemed a bit afraid and was waiting for me to do something. I truly hated it when people addressed me by 'Dilly' as it was improper and informal.   
  
  
  
'You're welcome, Aurélie,' I said, which took her by surprise. She gazed at the ground again, afraid of looking into my eyes.  
  
'Let's go back to your chambers,' she said, completely calm. 'I'll try not to call you Dilly again,' she said. I cringed when she said it again.   
  
'Let's go. I see you've gained some sort of confidence,' I said, eyeing her oddly. She stood up, right in front of me and kissed me on the nose. then she walked off ahead of me. What a peculiar girl...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! yeah, by now itz prolly way past xmas cuz I write des stories really early and post em late! well, presents are like 7.0/10, which iz not good on the geneva scale! but, spirit-wise, xmas woz good! yeah, i guess dis chappie woz kinda long! sorrie! i spent like two days on this, and itz the shortest amount of time i spent on a chappie! yay! disney xmas parade! itz kinda gay, but dey haf lotza spirit!  
  
© 2003-2004 by La Femme Voxxe 


	8. The Light

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 8: El Levantamiento   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the story's title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.  
  
A/N: crap! a runny nose and tons of hmk on xmas! i'm gonna go get a coffee! god, that's good...clearing up my sinuses! HACHOO! so friggin annoyed of this cold! i abuse the whole purpose of author's notes...oh well, live wif it! u do if you've gotten this far! yeah, so artemisia got 'promoted' and dilly iz back to his own self agen!! good thing no1 reads these notes newayz! ciao! good ol colombian coffee! ha! colombian drug lord!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
:: Artemisia::  
  
Perhaps I have changed. I never met Dilandau before and my father hardly ever mentioned him to me when he was arranging my marriage. Maybe it was because Dilandau was too dangerous and wild for 'poor Artemisia.' He only mentioned him once and remarked how 'wild and rude he was.' I also remember him saying that Folken should keep him more controlled. I only saw Dilandau once before and he merely glanced at me before I left with my father for Ispano. That was two years ago. I wonder if Dilandau knows who I even am yet. In time he will...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dilandau took me to the breakfast table this morning. I felt odd not making a meal for others, for once in a month. He didn't take my hand or hold my waist, he simply stood beside me, as casual as one could get. He kept his eyes fixed with the door we were headed to, as if in some sort of trace. I gradually walked towards him closer and tapped him on the shoulder, breaking his gaze.  
  
'Dilandau, what seems to be the matter?' I asked, with concern in my eyes. Although I knew why he was doing this, I was curious to see if he could give me the truth.  
  
'What? I cannot let others know about you and I. They only know about you becoming my assistant. Folken probably knows already anyway. I heard you two talking in the morning yesterday.'  
  
I stopped suddenly, dead in my tracks. Had he heard about Artemisia, or me at all? [A/N: sorriez about the third person, bad grammar skills! in fact, it's january right now and i have a grammar test tomorrow! ciao! happy new year!]  
  
I caught his hand, before he could go one step further. 'What did you hear?'  
  
'All I know is that Folken knows and I don't know what Artemisia has to do with me anyway,' he stated, letting go of my grasp. 'Now are you coming or not? You need your breakfast.'  
  
I was relieved that Dilandau hadn't known about me; I didn't know how he'd react. Knowing Dilandau, something deeply negative could only result from my true identity. I followed Dilandau down the many halls and through the heavy ebony doors that were wide open for us. All the others had already been there already and the servants had brought them their food. They looked quite impatient, yet when they saw me sit on Dilandau's right hand, their jaw dropped. He said they already knew!  
  
Dilandau seemed annoyed by this. 'Aurélie holds the position of personal assistant now. She is going to sit here and with me from now on. I thought I made this clear yesterday.' Everyone stared at Dilandau, then at me.   
  
'Hello, everyone. I better get used to this. I used to be a servant,' I said, trying to make my first impression dwell in their minds. The problem with first impressions is that you only get one. I don't know anyone who could master these, the situations are always too awkward, for example now. Dilandau quickly found my hand and squeezed it hard, probably so I would shut up. These people were well aware that no position existed. Before I could say 'ow' he interrupted.  
  
'She merely is in this (now) existant position because she was the only one available for it. Besides, I need one because who can handle all...this?' He obviously said the whole thing out of the blue! The others at the table found it funny, because they either grinned or laughed, until our meal came. Dilandau let go of my hand as he began eating.  
  
I never seemed to have this much food since I came. Besides, servants ate the leftovers of the dragon slayers and the generals. There were the Austurian greens, the Zaibach style of toast and some eggs. I took the fork and began eating, bit by bit as if it were my last meal.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Very good, Aurelie, now try it with more thrust,'[A/N: (real one!) not that way, u hentai addict!]instructed Dilandau as I did a series of kicks on the boards. [ne1 doing martial arts or self defense? u noe those boards they hold up when u kick them? i forgot what they were, so if u know, review and tell me!] He gave the boards to Chesta, who I knocked down on my first kick. 'Now you're improving, Aurelie.'  
  
We did about one-hundred push-ups and Pilates [u noe that new 'miracle' work-out that every1 luvs?] to strengthen our ab muscles and legs. I found that this was very similar to my assassin training. [i used to do this all the time, except killing ppl, then i stopped bcuz i got really lazy and busy. stupid hmk!] Dilandau was very muscular and I knew why. We did one last drill, ending with me and Dilandau, one-on-one. I beat him, yet he seemed to let me beat him because he gently went down as I pounded him on the floor. I landed on top of him and he didn't lift me off until I rolled off. I was completely tired after this, sweat all over my aching body. Goddess, was I out of shape! I ran to the shower first, in the mensroom before they took all the available showers.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I found Dilandau in the gym, waiting for me. He looked a bit impatient as I walked up to him, carrying all the equipment and clothing. He took some of the equipment and told me I was doing extremely well for a beginner.  
  
'Actually, I'm not a beginner...' I said, regretting my words as they escaped from my lips.  
  
'What do you mean not a beginner? You've done these types of things before? You're just a simple girl from Ispano and nothing more...am I right?' he asked, looking down at me as I avoided his eyes...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: whhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee  
  
ok, pplz that woz chapter 8! oooh, cliffhanger! mayb not really, but i'm just being nice to you guys, my readers, or wotever's left of u! wonder wot will happen...u prolly do too, so, onward! newayz...i really need help getting to the romance in this! itz my first romance-related fic and i dunno wot to do!   
  
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
  
shit! i think i flunked my math exam! i did such a crappy job answering those questions! ciao!  
  
2003-2004 By La Femme Voxxe 


	9. Sweet Kiss

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 9: Beso Dulce  
  
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: BlackMoonEmpress, green eyes, Night of the Raven [such a cool name!], and tempest...thanks for the gr8 reviews! I love reviews!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing. I also used some lines from episode 3 of escaflowne and u prolly recognize tha part! sorriez, i'll try to b more creative, i just wanted to follow esca for that and they needed van in this so, yeah!  
  
A/N: ha! i get like a week off! we've got exams and i've got like four, but two were in class, i did my math one, and i haf my geo one on monday! itz still january and i did crap on my math exam! i h8 exams! y do we haf to do them? i had an 86% average last semester [well, it woz on my mid-term] and i think i did betta in geo and eng! math dropped 5% [86-81] and dance stayed da same! newayz...i decided to continue, despite sum slight writer's block! crap! i h8 that! i think i'm starting to need anger management classes! Ahck! i speet on anger management classes! *in weirdo russian accent!* newayz...carry on...[i dunno wot the plot iz for dis chapter @ the moment so...] ALLEN BASHING!--schiza! the title gave it away! well, ready to the end and find out wot "beso dulce" means!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
::Dilandau::  
  
How can you see into my eyes, like open doors  
  
Leading you down into my core  
  
Where I've become so numb  
  
Without a soul  
  
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
  
Until you find it there and lead it back home  
  
--Evanescence, Bring Me To Life  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia is definitely hiding something from me. Last night she said something odd about her skills. How can a peasant girl be trained so well? Only sumerai, warriors, soldiers, and assassins are trained extremely well. Aurélie couldn't have been through that, could she?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As I rose from my bed in the morning, the sun greeted my eyes and lightened up the room with its luminous shine. I went into the washroom for a shower and to wash up for breakfast. I almost refused to wake up, yet my duties of the day compelled me to. Today we were to go to Austuria and see King Van and that smug Allen.  
  
I opened the connecting door between Aurélie's room and mine to wake her up. She was sleeping peacefully, her eyes shut and her pitch black hair sprawled all over the pillow. Her even breath and her expression made her look like a goddess.   
  
With one sudden shove, I woke her up instantly. With angry eyes, Aurélie took her pillow and swung it at my face.   
  
'OK, but you are 10 minutes late, and we have to leave soon for Asturia,' I said when I held her back.  
  
'Close the curtains, I can hardly see where anything is!' Aurélie complained. I quickly closed the curtains and told her to get ready. When I left, I wasn't even sure if she even heard me.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Why do we have to leave so early? I don't even think the others are awake yet!' said Aurélie, tugging at my uniform.  
  
'It takes a long time to get to Austuria and we're supposed to be there by before noon,' I said, brushing her off me. We needed that Allen to get us our supplies.   
  
Aurélie and I followed the dragon slayers towards the transport. The moment we went in, Aurélie fell asleep in the transport and Gatti tried to wake her up.  
  
'There's no use, she'll wake up on her own on the way,' I said, shoving Gatti off her. The dragon slayers were all squished on one side because of Aurélie, who was sprawled all over the seats.   
  
I was surely going to be a long ride.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Aurélie had woken up and we were quite near Austuria. Everyone was becoming impatient but they didn't dare complain at all. Aurélie sat up beside me and the dragon slayers had all the room in the back.   
  
'What business do we have in Austuria? You haven't told me yet, Dilandau,' Aurélie said, growing impatient.  
  
'Why don't you go back to sleep? You haven't stopped complaining since you woke up,' I said, and Aurélie slowly closed her eyes...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Aurélie, the dragonslayers and I lined up in front of Allen when we finally reached Austuria. Allen and his crew were there, as well as other people who were around Aurelie's age.  
  
'I request that you supply weapons, food, and water. This is an emergency mobilization,' I ordered to Allen.  
  
'I'll do the best I can,' he replied, though I didn't think that he would.  
  
'By the way, Allen... ...have you seen a strange Guymelef around here?' I asked, questioning the Escaflowne's whereabouts.  
  
'No, I haven't. Does this have something to do with the mobilization of the floating fortress?'  
  
'More or less.'  
  
'I heard that Fanelia, in the west, was attacked.'  
  
'That poor, small country...? They might have been destroyed by the dragons that wander around the valley. It's a proper ending for a poor country like that. Anyway, it's a country of cowards, and their king's disappeared. I don't care what happened to it.'  
  
'Cowards are the ones who don't show themselves in battle,' said some strange looking boy in the back. He was most likely my age. He was quite scrawny and had hair as black as Aurelie's. Clad in a red shirt and white pants, he looked a bit like a peasant.  
  
I walked up to him, pushed him aside and looked at a strange girl with emerald green eyes.  
  
'You're wearing strange clothes. Where are you from?' I asked her.  
  
'She's my new girlfriend. I found her in the east. Her name is Hitomi,' replied Allen, accompanying this with a kiss on her cheek. The black haired boy looked at them in disgust. Allen had yet another girlfriend. For some reason, I didn't quite believe him because the girl seemed surprised at the kiss and blushed.  
  
'That's all, Dilandau,' he added. I stepped forward again. By this time, Aurélie had come in.  
  
'Lord Dilandau, we must leave soon,' she pointed out, rushing towards me. Allen locked his gaze with Aurélie.   
  
'What's your name?' he said, a sly smile spreading across his lips. The girl that was his supposed 'girlfriend' looked extremely jealous while the black haired boy smiled. Allen's behaviour towards Aurélie was beginning to anger me.  
  
'My name is Aurélie. I am from Ispano. Dilandau found me there,' Aurélie said briefly, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke. I stood in front of her, enraged at Allen's interest in her. Stupid Allen.   
  
I turned to leave, with Aurélie behind me. Then Allen did something. He let go of Hitomi and brought Aurelie's hand to his lips. This brought me to the zeniths of jealousy. I grabbed Allen, brought my knee up to his face and punched him in the stomach. He let go of Aurélie and I tried to go at him again. Aurélie tried to pull me back while Hitomi was speechless, staring at Allen's hunched body on the floor.   
  
'I expect the supplies before the next moon rises,' I said as I left. Hitomi began sobbing quietly while the black haired boy ran up to Allen. I saw some blood spill on the floor. That player deserved it.  
  
Aurélie looked at his body in utter horror and rushed out the door towards our transport as I ran after her.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The ride back to Vione was long and everyone was silent. Aurélie didn't speak to me at all, avoiding me. She turned away whenever I tried to speak to her and slapped my hand when I tried to touch her. I figured she would be frightened at what I did to Allen, but what business did she have with him? He was, after all, coming on to her.  
  
Finally, she spoke. 'Why do you have to be so over-protective? Can you please, for once, stop being so violent? You seriously have a problem, Dilandau...'  
  
'I don't like the thought of people trying anything,' I said, looking directly at her in the eye.  
  
She paused for a moment. 'You were jealous?' she finally said, with a scowl on her face.  
  
For the remainder of the ride to the Vione, I stared at the sky and didn't speak to Aurélie.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Black and navy had streaked the moonlit sky by the time the dragon slayers, Aurélie, and I arrived back at the Vione. The moment the door opened, Aurélie ran out and didn't say anything. It wasn't until later that I finally got the chance to speak to her.  
  
'I'm sorry, Aurélie. I didn't mean for that to happen,' I said to her back as she was brushing her long black locks in front of her dresser mirror.   
  
She turned around. 'Why did you have to protect me from...Allen? He's harmless, even that black haired boy didn't do anything when he kissed Hitomi's cheek. Why did you react so violently? You're a good person, Dilandau, but you must control certain things...' she trailed off, gazing into my garnet eyes.  
  
'Why did you have to do that to him?' she asked.   
  
'I did it because I don't want him to try anything,' I stated.  
  
'I'm not yours to protect, Dilandau,' Aurélie stated, walking up closer to me.   
  
'I care about you, Aurélie, so that is my task,' I said as she looked into my eyes.  
  
I leaned over and caught her full lips as she put her arms around my neck. She kissed me back as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I pressed her against the wall as she began kissing me back. I bent down to kiss her neck as she led me to my bed. Aurelie pulled me towards her as I pushed her down gently on the bed. I licked my lips and didn't notice a figure at the door. It was Folken.  
  
'What the hell are you doing, Dilandau?' Folken said, infuriated.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: well...that was interesting! soz u prolly noe wot beso dulce means by now! sweet kiss! k, originally, they were supposed to kiss in chapter 6, but i changed it today cuz i woz rushing things! so, they had their first kiss and it took a while cuz i had to figure out where to put it! terribly sorry...i dun really haf much time to write much cuz i got a new job and i haf to balance that, school work, social life, and havin fun! so u prolly won't b seein too much of this for a while! this will prolly b up in the summer!  
  
well, i got it up b4 the summer, lol!  
  
review noe, dammit! cuz every1 noes that every author on ff.net loves reviews! and i'm one of em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	10. Family Heritage

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 10: Herencia de la Familia   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
~I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: BlackMoonEmpress and Raven of the Night!~  
  
~Thanks for hanging on!~  
  
~See? I made it all pretty cuz I really appreciate your reviews!~  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing. I don't own the story's title, as it belongs to Injected and their record label.  
  
A/N: guess wot?? i've got a 90% average!! go me!! this is like my dream! well, i'm quitting the job in may cuz i'm way too stressed out and the grease from the pizza iz givin me more than one pimple a month!--very bad for my complexion! i'm not kidding! i care a lot about my skin! dun even get me started wif all the skin products i haf in my medicine drawer, or that compartment under the sink! well, here's chapter 10 [finally] and itz basically about artemisia and how she reacts after the kiss! ciao!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
.:Artemisia:.  
  
He left the room as I lay there, watching him get up and leave. Folken was obviously furious with him, as his expression showed. I slowly got up from the bed and walked into my room, thinking frantically about what Dilandau had done that for. He was becoming jealous for me! I had no idea why Folken was so angry. I remember the infamous Allen. It was certainly not my fault that he was coming on to me! Dilandau seemed to think so...he almost broke his jaw! I have to admit, Dilandau really didn't have to do what he had done to Allen. Wow, even some of my suitors weren't as jealous as Dilandau! Of course they weren't the heirs of the largest Empire on Gaea...Dilandau can't seem to control himself sometimes.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I woke up in my room, the morning sun warming up my face and waking me up from my deep sleep .I slipped out of the bed, in my white nightgown and changed into my day clothes. I took off the nightgown and slipped on the white peasant blouse and a black lace top. The seamstress had said it looked perfect on me and brought out the colour in my hair.   
  
I opened the door to Dilandau's room and cautiously took a step inside. Dilandau took a few steps towards me and kissed me lightly on the lips. 'Good morning, Aurélie,' he muttered as he hugged me. 'How was your sleep last night?' he asked.  
  
'Wonderful, I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed,' I said, returning the kiss. 'Shall we head to breakfast?' I asked as I took his hand. Dilandau and I headed down the hall with me closely beside him, our hands separate. No one was supposed to know about our relationship.   
  
Just as we were walking down the hall, Dilandau slipped something out of his pocket. It was a small, burgundy velvet box with gold string lining the perimeter. He opened it to reveal a beautiful, white gold ring with an interesting leaf design. I didn't know what to say...'It's a promise ring, Aurélie,' he said, taking it out of the box. He put it on my left middle finger. 'It represents all the reasons why I...' he paused, trying to find the correct words. '...love you,' he finally finished. For having a reputation like Dilandau's, I couldn't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. 'I love you for because of your beauty, sincerity, and above all, your trust,' he informed me, kissing my hand.   
  
I gazed at the ring, admiring its sparkle as brilliant as the stars. I hugged Dilandau. 'I love you,' I told him, kissing him on the lips.   
  
'We better go,' Dilandau said, giving me the box and walking with me back down the hall. I knew then that he had truly loved me for all those things. I was looking forward to the events of today.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
That afternoon, I was straightening my room as I heard a knock at the door. I walked cautiously up to it, as no one used that door. I turned the knob and found a young woman standing before me. She was taller than I and had a slim figure. She had defiant features that I vaguely remembered and smiled up at me, her emerald eyes sparkling with joy. 'Aurélie! How have you been?!' she exclaimed, stepping in. Suddenly, I remembered who this young woman was. It was Evelyn!  
  
'Evelyn?' I asked, as she quickly let go. 'I've had the most amazing time here!' I exclaimed, closing the door behind her. I hadn't seen her for over a month! She seemed overjoyed to see me and I asked why she was here.  
  
'Remember all those chores we had to do? Folken sent me here to clean and straighten things out. He said 'a girl whom I should know needed my assistance...' I had no clue who this girl was...' she said, trailing off. 'How did you end up here?' she asked, gazing at something in my room.   
  
'Dilandau...he took me in and gave me all this,' I said, trying to find out what Evelyn had her eye on.   
  
'A ring? What's this for?' she asked, grabbing my ring from Dilandau off the mantel.   
  
Thinking quickly, I snatched it from her. 'Good question...' I paused, trying to think of a feasible answer. I continued, 'this isn't my ring! Not at all! It's Dilandau's. He just left it here...' I lied to her, slipping it into my pocket.   
  
'Are you sure? It looks like a woman's ring. Very feminine,' Evelyn responded. 'I know it's from him,' she told me. 'Folken already knows about it. He knows all about you two and your "love affair",' she said, emphasizing "love affair" as I took the ring out of my pocket.  
  
'You musn't tell anyone. Dilandau isn't very comfortable with me shouting out to all of Gaia about our...relationship,' I quickly explained. 'It's a rather beautiful ring. He said it was a "promise ring",' I explained, putting it on my middle finger on my left hand. The white gold shone beautifully as both Evelyn and I gazed at it in wonder.   
  
'I know about those. You should wear it, but how are you going to hide it from the others?' Evelyn said, wearing a puzzled expression.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Completely ignoring the chores, Evelyn and I had a deep conversation about our lives. Everything she said opened new doors for me.  
  
'Folken tells me that your legal name is not Aurélie,' Evelyn said, as I looked the other way. 'He tells me that you are someone we all should respect, someone who we should all be very glad to have come to our country. You are not just a simple peasant; you are someone,' Evelyn said, as I met her eyes.  
  
'I am not proud of who I am. I never was,' I said, trying to figure out who she thought I was.   
  
'I know very well who you are. I met many of your relatives through the years to recognize who you are on the spot,' Evelyn challenged.  
  
'I...,' I said, trying to find the correct words.  
  
'You are Lady Artemisia Parnassus, the youngest daughter of Lady Laurelle D'Amicio and Lord Miguel Parnassus of Ispano. You are the only living female of the greatest line of assassins of all of Gaea,' Evelyn said, her voice growing with confidence.  
  
'You are...right. I am and you musn't tell anyone! Folken knows already. How did you find out?' I asked, puzzled.  
  
'My family was notorious [at least in Zaibach] for knowing yours inside out,' she stated as I was putting the pieces together.   
  
'Your name must not be Evelyn,' I said, as I found the only family that knew so much about ours. Evelyn was an Allende's. I never liked them as they were our rivals, yet she was a poor assassin and was an advisor to us.   
  
'I am a friend of your late sister, Evangelina,' she said, turning away at the memory of Evangelina.   
  
I remembered Evangelista. She was an amazing assassin and my father always told me to look up to her. She had long, wavy black hair that reached her shoulders and amazing green eyes that sparkled liked emeralds. Evangelina was the ideal assassin considering her confidence, fearlessness, and devotion. I looked up to her as a sister and as a fellow assassin but she seemed so distant at times. She was never emotionally connected to her killings (as I was) nor to anyone, including the family. Evangelina never showed her love for any of us, yet she always said she would kill anyone who tried to take our lives'. Folken loved Evangelina and always sent roses to her grave each week, which symbolized how much he loved her. Evangelina, like me, was arranged to marry. Father chose Folken and Evangelina loved him yet with their distance, they couldn't commit. Then came the sudden death of Evangelina, which rose interesting suspicions.  
  
I seemed to be in a trance as Evelyn waved her hands before my eyes. 'Are you OK? You seemed a bit lost there for a while!' she said.   
  
'You're Christabelle Allende!' I exclaimed as I had it all figured out. Christabelle was a friend of Evangelina. She was an advisor to my sister and she loved Folken as well. Although she knew that Evangelina was with Folken, she never gave up her love. Folken loved her as well although he never showed it too much.   
  
'Yes, I am. I did love Folken yet after Evangelina's death, all the fingers pointed at me as the first suspect. Folken took me in and I've been here ever since. I was nineteen years-old then. Now I'm sitting here, talking to you,' the woman who claimed she was Christabelle said. I believed her as what she said made sense. At least there was someone here I could trust.  
  
'I'm glad you're here, Christabelle' I said, as I finally found someone I knew. After my father died, I thought I could find no solace in anyone. Dilandau was quite comforting yet someone like him can never understand what a loss like mine was.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: k, itz march break where i am rite now and its prolly the nxt month already [well, that is, if ur reading this!] !!! hey, look! evelyn's back! and apparently she's christabelle! and she is!! sorries if that last bit was too much to read, i just needed to put in sum serious girl talk in this! itz quite fun havin sum1 u recognize around u! artemisia just didn't remember her cuz she has never seen ne1 of her folks or ne1 from her past since she was captured!! so, you have read...now REVIEW!!! sorriez if i sounded a lil crazy, i just dun haf enuf reviews here! sniffs! T_T ciao!  
  
--guess wot?? i've got lotr: the two towers!! itz on dvd! its for the oscar awards academy to watch, so it says "for your consideration" sumtimes, but its so cool!! there's also this notice at the beginning of the movie sayin its for oscar consideration and that its property of New Line cinema and that it shouldn't b viewed by a public audience, and i pause to read it and laugh at it!! two/thirds in the movie it screws up, but i'm reading the script!!  
  
--wow...i'm bein shipped off to ny!!!! go me!!!!!!!!!!! it may affect my now "regular" update patterns cuz i dun haf the files wif me, but i'll bring em abroad! i'll e-mail them to myself! yay! my cousins haf microsoft word, meaning i get to haf better format for this story! and i dun haf to do all the html crap...well, i'm writing chapter 11 and i haf MAJOR writer's block, so it mite take a while! ciao!  
  
2003-2004 By La Femme Voxxe 


	11. The Vision

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 11: La Vision  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
~Dedicated to: Night of the Raven and seaturtle~  
  
~Thanks for all your supportive reviews and encouragement! You guys are what make me want to update more and keep on writing!~  
  
~Thanks so much!~  
  
@seaturtle: Yeah! I'm in NY too! Wow! I feel so flattered! I'm ur new fav author?? Yay! Anyway, I'll be leaving on the second last week of August for Canada, but I'm having fun here while it lasts! Hey, my cousins shop at those malls! The Palisades as most ppl call em! I saw Pirates of the Caribbean there!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing.   
  
A/N: crap! march break is ending!...i haf to go back 2 sku! Stupid sku...well, here is chapter 11! dilandau discovers some interesting things about arty and the reactions are priceless!...lol! he's so funny! k, i really haf nothing else to say here...just that my comp's BEING SUCH A RETARD!! i feel like bashing the monitor...but i dun haf the money to pay for another comp! it takes me about 2 weeks to write a chapter and i'm pretty consistant about it because i write it in my secret red notebook! itz such a pretty notebook! so...red! i then type it in my evil netscape composer and, three months later, i post it on this site! well, this story is distributed to two sites: www.fanfiction.net and www.mediaminer.org! sorriez, i woz just rambling on about how i write the fic! it must bore u half to death, so read this chappie!...  
  
~July Update:~  
  
The stuff before the disclaimer was written on the 17th of July and this was too!   
  
Just so everyone knows, I changed the story back to the 3rd person thing, so get used to it! I also haf to change the whole ENTIRE story back to 3rd person! Anyway, here?s chapter 11 [finally!]: La Vision! There's some Van bashing towards the end, so please be prepared for that! Sorry!!! *tries to dodge future flames thrown 2 her!*  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
.:Dilandau:.  
  
Artemisia had been speaking long with Christabelle in the other room. All the generals, including me knew the identity of Evelyn. Folken took an evident liking to her and seemed to love her. He forbade me to love Aurelie yet he loves a woman in the same situation as Aurelie. Folken is above my position yet at times, what he says in comparison to what he does do not relate. Aurelie seems to love me however, there is something mysterious about her that I have yet to find out. Everyone around her is taken by her beauty. Even me. However, behind that shield is a suffering girl, crying out for help. I intend to find Aurelie, the real person, the girl who has taken my heart.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Dilandau, it's beautiful," stated Artemisia, with the ring on her left hand. The sun rose three hours ago and she had just come into Dilandau's room.   
  
"No one deserves it more than you do," he responded, without moving his head. Dilandau was eager to ambush Asturia today. He had already been dressed and had eaten breakfast. "I won't be needing you today, so you must stay here, it's far too dangerous for someone such as yourself to be out there," he said, turning to face Artemisia. She flashed him a quick smile and asked if he needed anything. "A kiss," he said, as she brought her lips to his. The lady's heart would be greatly broken if anything happened to her Dilandau.   
  
"I'll see you this evening," Artemisia said, as Dilandau headed out of his room.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
In the briefing room, Dilandau stared up at the larger-than-life image of Zaibach's leader, the notorious Lord Dornkirk. Lord Dornkirk and Folken were discussing the matters of the Escaflowne, while Dilandau paced impatiently around the room.  
  
"Folken... the dragon is disappearing," Lord Dornkirk pointed out.   
  
Folken looked up at Lord Dornkirk. "The dragon is...?"  
  
"The outline of our ideal future is uncertain now. If we let the dragon remain free, I don't know how it will affect our future. Capture the dragon," he responded.  
  
Dilandau began heading out the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Folken inquired.  
  
With a smirk, Dilandau responded, "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to battle. We know where the dragon is."  
  
"Asturia is our ally. You musn't harm them. Your orders are to retrieve the Dragon, do not go against them," Folken warned.  
  
"If I wait for political negotiation, I'll miss the target," Dilandau protested. Folken gave him a disapproving look.  
  
"If we use the Stealth Manteau that you invented... ...we won't leave any clue that we're from Zaibach. Look foward to my souvenir, General," Dilandau explained, as he exited the room.  
  
Dilandau was gathering his dragon slayers together. "Everyone, wait for orders at your present position. Hide and seek is over."   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia turned over for what seemed like the hundredth time in bed. The morning sun had risen, another day had begun and Dilandau hadn't returned from the battle. She woke up and opened her eyes to see the sunlight spilling into her windows. Dilandau should be here right now she thought, as she got up from bed. Quickly, she brushed her hair and washed up before she went into Dilandau's room. It was empty, with a single note on Dilandau's pillow. Artemisia picked up the note and read it:  
  
Aurelie,  
  
You may have noticed that Dilandau is not here, as he is still at battle. We are still trying to find the Escaflowne and that you needn't worry. The rest of the day will go as planned and please see me to read a message we received from Dilandau.   
  
Sincerely,  
  
Lord Folken  
  
Artemisia put the note in her pocket and went back inside her room to change. She wore a simple white prairie skirt and a white tube top with black lace on the top and bottom. She slipped on her black slides and exited her room.  
  
Almost running, Artemisia hurried down the hall towards Folken's laboratory and swung open the doors to find him inside, looking directly at her. She ran up to him and suddenly tripped as he caught her in his arms. Slightly embarrassed, she mumbled "What messages?"   
  
Folken stared at her straight in the eye, "Dilandau says that he will return tonight and that you must prepare to fight if any prisoners come at you," he stated as he gestured Artemisia to sit down. "I'm very well aware that you are a very well-trained assassin and that you are capable of fighting anyone off. However, I must warn you that you should prepare yourself for fighting off those who may harm you, as we think Dilandau may bring some of our enemies home with him," Folken finished as Artemisia looked up at him, worried. "I have seen you while you were training with Dilandau and I must admit that you still have your skills," Folken added. Artemisia looked up at him and smiled.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Breakfast had passed slowly and quietly, as everyone spoke softly to others and gave odd stares at Artemisia. She ate her breakfast slowly and ignored their stares, even if they did bother her. Artemisia trained a while after breakfast, yet she often found herself venturing off to the balcony looking around for Dilandau?s Alseides.   
  
"I'm quite sure he'll be all right. He eventually returns from such battles unharmed," assured Christabelle, coming up behind Artemisia. She put put her hand on Artemisia's shoulder, comforting her.  
  
  
  
"Thanks for the comfort, yet I have to actually see Dilandau to be completely reassured," Artemisia explained, turning around to see Christabelle standing before her. "Well, I haven't known him for too long, yet for as long as I've known him, he hasn't been out this long," she stated as Christabelle looked a bit concerned, as Artemisia looked at the view below the balcony yet again.   
  
"As I said before, he'll be back, soon enough. Don't fret, Artemisia. He's done this before and I know he'll come back," Christabelle said softly, which was supposed to make Artemisia feel better. It worked because she drew away from the balcony and followed Christabelle back into the gym.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A loud bang sounded from the Vione port, waking Artemisia from her afternoon sleep. Taking in a deep breath when she awoke, Artemisia took her white handkerchief skirt and white satin corset from the foot of her bed. She changed quickly, eager to find out what had happened at the Vione. With haste, she grabbed the first dagger she could find in her drawer. Slipping on her white shoes Artemisia grabbed her spare nude coloured gauze, in case her tattoo was uncovered. Passing by the servant's quarters, Artemisia found Folken, who was walking calmly down the hall along with the other Zaibach generals.   
  
"Lord Folken! Did you hear-," started Artemisia as Folken interrupted her.  
  
"Yes, we're on our way to the Vione right now. We believe Dilandau and his dragon slayers have returned from the battle," Folken stated, as Artemisia smiled. It quickly faded slowly as he added, "We believe that he has some hostile forces following him." As she tried to keep up with his quick pace, he said, so only she could hear, "be prepared to fight. We believe my brother and that girl from the Mystic Moon is here." His last statement startled Artemisia a bit, as she trailed away from Folken and the others.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Thinking quickly, Artemisia took the short cut to the Vione, in hopes of finding Dilandau. She was sprinting for a minute through her path when she saw a tall, shadowy figure emerge from the entrance of the Vione. It stepped into the light, when Artemisia recognized this person at once?Van Fanel, Folken?s younger brother and heir to the Fanelian throne.  
  
"You must be Aurelie," he stated as he gave her a once-over.  
  
"Yes. And you must be Van Fanel," Artemisia responded, taking the dagger from under her skirt. Van unsheathed his sword, which was a lot longer than Artemisia's.   
  
"Have you ever fought a woman before?" questioned Artemisia, ready to fight Van.  
  
"No, yet it will probably be simple enough, as you are Dilandau's toy and I am a trained samarai," Van answered, pointing his sword at Artemisia.   
  
"You may think otherwise," Artemisia answered as she quickly threw off Van's sword and his balance with her dagger. He had let go of the sword at that point, sending it sprawling across the marble tiles. Artemisia still had her dagger, pointing it at Van, who was lying on the floor. He was crawling towards his sword, the dagger still at his throat. She let him do it anyway, pondering on what he was going to do next.   
  
At last, he found his sword, got up to his feet and started taking blows [a/n: that sounds SO wrong, but I can't find another word for it!] at Artemisia as she blocked each of them. At this point, she had him focused on taking her down with his sword. While blocking his strikes, Artemisia found his weak points. She blocked his sword one last time and kicked him twice in the stomach with her knee. Van's grasp on the sword loosened, sending it across to the other side of the hall. He lay there on the floor again.   
  
"Never insult a woman like that again!" Artemisia said, throwing her dagger across the floor.   
  
Under her foot, Van got up and tried to throw a few punches and kicks at Artemisia, who was yet again, blocking and ducking from each one of them. At long last, Van gave up, as his eye caught the gauze, which concealed her famous family tattoo. "If you're so good at blocking punches, strikes, and kicks, then how did you ever manage to get something like that?" Van said, indicating the wrapped up "wound".   
  
At this point, he had found her dagger, and sliced the gauze open, revealing her tattoo. "This explains everything! You're a Parnassus!" Van stated. "Is that why you're with Dilandau? To protect Zaibach? You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?" he inquired, pushing her up against the wall, holding up her arms.   
  
Artemisia felt defeated at this point, tears spilling from her face. What was with Fanelians and finding out about her? "I'll let you go, as long as you don't tell anyone, not even Dilandau, about me," she offered.   
  
Van let go of her. "Certainly. You don't want to be used yet again by a suitor, I assume," he answered, as Artemisia nodded. He grabbed his sword and left Artemisia alone in the hall. She sat down on the cold marble floor, grabbed her dagger and wrapped her tattoo up with pieces of her ochre gauze.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N3: I told you there wos gonna be some Van bashing! Lol! Anyway, it was kinda coming to him! Sorry if that was a bit long for you! It was 3 and-a-half bloody pages! Don't worry about chapter 12! I've already got some ideas about that, which should take up MOST of the chapter. And I promise I won't make it so long next time! And about that sword fighting thing, you knew it was BOUND to happen. She's a friggin assassin! But she wasn't going to KILL Van, just kinda bash him up a bit.  
  
OK, it's the summer rite now and this chapter took me--WHOA! 3 MONTHS to write! Never took so long to write something! Anything! So, hope you like chapter 12, which will [hopefully] be out nxt week! With school all done, the likelihood of it coming nxt week is VERY good!   
  
Ciao bella!  
  
(I haf to edit the other one's too I'm not happy with some of the grammar and you notice that I changed the 1st person thing back to the original--3rd person! I also haf to change the title too! Oh yeah, and sorry for EMPHASIZING *almost* every single thing I write!)  
  
Waiting for reviews!  
  
La Femme Voxxe  
  
July 2003 


	12. Confidence

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 12: Confianza  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
~I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: Raven of the Night, seaturtle, and temp. insane!~  
  
~Thanks for hanging on!~  
  
@temp. insane: interesting name! it suits u! LoL! Ur review made me LMAO! Yeah, it's a great city and the ppl are quite nice!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemis and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the story and I adopted the idea of having a he said she said thing.   
  
A/N: Holy sheisse! Summer's half over now! I absolutely cannot believe it! Anyway, I'm stuck in my aunt's guest room wif a comp, soz I decided to make it useful and write more of my story! Yay! My parents and my lil sis are coming to NY tomorrow! actually, they're here rite now, they're just shopping around and staying @ the cottage in NY. When they come, we haf to do MAJOR shopping! I desperately NEED a new winter coat, cuz wearing those electric blue puffy jackets and that weirdo powdery purple jacket is NOT cool! And I need luggage and a new [hopefully Nike or Jansport] backpack!   
  
Anyway, since chapter 10 got posted, I got 21 MORE reviews! Yay! And I'm happy to say that I've made 3 more on-line friends; seaturtle, temp. insane, and Raven of the Night! So happy for your reviews, guys! You're the ones that motivated me to write more! So here's Chapter 12: Confianza. Good ol' nude-coloured pantyhose!!!!!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I was just guessing at numbers and figures   
  
Pulling the puzzles apart  
  
Questions of science, science and progress  
  
Do not speak as loud as my heart  
  
And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me  
  
Oh and I rush to the start  
  
Running in circles, chasing tails  
  
Coming back as we are  
  
Nobody said it was easy  
  
Oh it's such a shame for us to part  
  
Nobody said it was easy   
  
No one ever said it would be so hard   
  
I'm going back to the start  
  
-Coldplay, The Scientist  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dilandau leapt off the Alseides and ran through the Vione entrance, looking for Van. He knew he couldn't be far because he was just behind him a few moments ago. As he ran, he thought about Artemisia. What if Van found her and did something to her? Dilandau ran faster as his mind lingered on the thought of Van fighting Artemisia. If he even lays a single finger on her...  
  
Dilandau unsheathed his sword and began on a frantic search for Van or Artemisia. He was running in random directions on the Vione and quickly noticed that he was actually running around in circles. The halls were extremely dimly lit and he could hardly see anything. He walked down one hall that branched out from the Vione entrance. Here, he heard a person panting heavily. Their footsteps were quite audible and it sounded as if the person was limping. Dilandau thought immediately of Artemisia and headed straight towards who he thought was her.   
  
"You!" Dilandau exclaimed with anger. The person had stepped into the dim light, clutching his stomach. In the light, Dilandau recognized the person at once, Van.  
  
"Dilandau!" Van said, unsheathing his sword.  
  
"Aww...did you get hurt? I'm bored, let's play!" Dilandau teased, his voice dripping with malice. He drew out his sword.  
  
Van thought about what Artemisia had done with him and did the same to Dilandau. Surprised, Dilandau continued to block some of his blows. He invented some of these moves. Of course he knew how to disarm a person. They continued to fight.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Every few minutes, Artemisia checked on her tattoo to see if the pantyhose concealed it well enough. She ran through the halls of the floating fortress trying to fin Dilandau. The thought of Van and dilandau fighting made her a bit nervous, as they had done this numerous times before and Van had one during those times. Dilandau was always blinded by obsession whenever he fought Van because he wanted him to die for quite some time.   
  
Artemisia found herself in the entrance of the Vione, all the guymelefs looking down at her. Suddenly, a clatter of swords echoed in a nearby hall. Dilandau! She thought. Without thinking, she walked slowly towards the direction of the clattering swords.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"YOU fought Aurelie? So she did that? That's my girl!" Dilandau said, blocking strikes from Van.   
  
"You should be proud, she's more than your playtoy, she's actually talented!" Van said with a smirk. This angered Dilandau, as he started taking random, weak strikes at Van.  
  
Flashbacks of a burning Fanelia and Dilandau's evil cackles burned in Van's mind. He took one strong strike at Dilandau, aiming at his precious face. He did not even see the speeding form of Artemisia come between him and Dilandau.   
  
She used herself as a human shield, crying in pain as Van's sharp sword sliced through her right side, slicing through her flesh. A sea of blood poured from the wound, visible enough on her white top to be seen from a distance. Artemisia collapsed as she saw Van's face, all the colour drained from it.   
  
"Artemisia!" Van exclaimed as Dilandau cried "Aurelie!", both at the same time.   
  
Dilandau slowly looked up at Van. "Artemisia? Like Artemisia Parnassus?" Dilandau had Artemisia in his arms, still conscious. He looked down at her, at the mysterious band around her arm that she always referred to a 'wound' she had since she was a small girl. He undid the band and before him was the infamous Parnassus family tattoo. The sparrow's blue eye pierced through Dilandau, with the strength of a thousand swords. "She told you? She hardly knows you, how could she have told you?"  
  
"Her sister was with Folken. He's my brother and she was a good childhood friend of mine," Van said, letting go of his sword. The sound of it clattering to the floor echoed throughout the hall.   
  
Artemisia struggled to stand up, the ripping pain of the wound and the whole situation overwhelmed her with weakness. She was beginning to get short of breath. Trying to support herself on the railing, she slowly opened and closed her eyes looking at the stunned expression of Dilandau. His expression slowly turned to anger. "Get out! You did this to her!" Dilandau ordered. Van was stricken with guilt and sadness as he walked away slowly, leaving Dilandau alone with Artemisia.   
  
Dilandau shot Artemisia a look of hatred and some jealousy. In an intensely cold voice he slowly uttered, "You mean nothing to me." At his last words, Artemisia let out a single tear from her left eye and fainted. He caught her as her head almost hit the railing. He carried her out of the Vione and towards the hospital wing.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia awoke, taking in a deep breath. As she breathed in, she smelled a familiar scent, something she knew not too long ago. It was a person from the past. It was her mother! She opened her eyes, looking up at her mother's smiling face. She swooped down and kissed her daughter lovingly on the cheek. Artemisia looked to her mother's right and saw her kid brother looking down at her, concerned. Artemisia forced herself to smile warmly. The pain from the wound affected her.   
  
"Mother! Rodrigo! You're here!" Before her mother could utter the words "your father" Artemisia understood. She looked out the window, knowing her father was somewhere out there, looking down upon them. Her family had come back to her! She turned back to her mother and tried to sit up. She was lying on her left side, her right side was covered in bandages and it throbbed terribly. As an assassin, she took pain well and had a great threshold that made wounds less painful, yet the wound was very deep and probably the worst she ever had.   
  
Looking into her mother's deep violet eyes, she questioned, "How did you two come here? How did you find me?"  
  
"That Dilandau boy came to our house. He seemed very polite, as opposed to what happened when the family met him a year ago. Anyway, he told us what happened and we came here in his transport. Zaibach has very nice transports, mind you" her mother explained. "The moment that boy met the family, he became all wild and rude. You and your sister were lucky to have been on a mission! The boy brought his lighter with him! He's changed so much since then. He really seems to care for you," she finished.  
  
"Did father ever want me to be with him?" Artemisia asked her mother. She nodded. This made her feel worse. The one thing that would make her father happy for her and actually love her as a daughter was something that she had already failed to do.   
  
"Why do you ask?" her mother questioned. "Were you with him during your time here? Folken told us your room was beside his. And that you were his personal assistant?"  
  
"Actually, my room was beside Dilandau's and I was his personal assistant, more or less," Artemisia said with a smile. "Did Folken mention anything else?"   
  
"He said he was quite fond of you. And he was sometimes jealous of Dilandau and the time you two shared. Am I missing anything?" Artemisia's mother said with a big smile. Artemisia's heart sank as she remembered the times she had with Folken and noticed that he did seem quite jealous of Dilandau. The memory of waking up in Dilandau's bed flashed through her mind.   
  
She smiled at her mother, "You liked Folken, don't you?" she asked her mother.  
  
"He was extremely polite. He really loved your sister," Artemisia's mother answered. She said "your sister" as if Evangelina was not even related to her in the least bit.   
  
Rodrigo stood up. "I don't feel too good. May I sit outside?" he asked as their mother nodded.   
  
When he left, Artemisia noticed he was holding his stomach the whole time. "What's with him?"  
  
"When your father died, he hasn't been the same. He really admired him and wanted to be everything he was when he grew older," she replied. Artemisia remembered how much her little brother had looked up to their father. He loved their father as much as their father loved him. Being the only boy in the family, her brother was always favoured over Artemisia and Evangelina.   
  
Her mother's face suddenly darkened. "Folken told me about your budding friendship with that Christabelle Allende. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, will I allow you to be friends with that witch. We are the best of the best assassins. Never settle for anything less than that!" she stated coldly. "You need your dinner. I'll bring someone to you," she added as she left.   
  
She was going to ask her mother if she were staying at the Vione, but her mother had disappeared already. She was sure that Folken would inform her later.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Wow, this chapter only took me two days to write! I tried real hard to convey all the character's feelings so how'd I do? This chapter was actually one of the most interesting to write cuz of all the reactions and stuff! I know it doesn't go with the series AT ALL, but in this fic, there ARE great twists!   
  
Here's some sort of preview for the nxt chapter: I saw THE Escaflowne Movie the other day and I really loved it! And I'm gonna add in some scenes based on that, so get ready for some Dilandau bashing! Oh yeah, in the movie, Folken can move things with his mind and Van can too! Isn't that superfabulous? So he's gonna punish Dilandau that way, for disobeying his orders, and endangering Artemisia, although we CLEARLY know it wasn't Dilandau's fault at ALL! Dilandau also sorta "let's go" of Artemisia and their relationship. All that's quite generous for a friggin preview of the nxt chapter, eh? So that's why I'm not revealing anymore to you ppl! ll haf to wait til nxt week!   
  
Waiting for reviews! Mahahahahahahahaha!!! As u can see, I'm slowly going insane!!!!!! Actually, I'm quite sleepy... Well, enough about my rants and stuff! Ciao! Until the next chapter, that is ... 


	13. Broken Heart

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 13: Corazón Quebrado  
  
~I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: seaturtle, and temp. insane!~  
  
~Thanks for hanging on!~  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the design of the Vione as well as this story. I DO NOT own any of the Dragon slayers or Pilates!  
  
A/N: Woohoo! Chicago is out! I wanted to see that movie, but I just HAD to see Anger Management! I'm listening to the Chicago soundtrack now! Track 14, I Move On, is one of my fav songs! That and Track 6, We Both Reached for the Gun! Oh crap!!!!!!! School's starting in 2 weeks! Lol! By the time I release this chapter, I'll be in sku already! I really hate sku cuz I always fall asleep. And in a week [it's aug. the 20th, so do the math!] I'll be going home! I really dun wanna go back to Barrie! Oh shit! I haf to start editing chapters now, like I sed I would. For the past few chapters, I've bin ignoring the person who keeps on trying to kill Artemisia and I've been focusing a bit too much on dilandau and his relationship wif artemisia! So in this chapter, I'm gonna focus more on the person who's trying to kill artemisia and why they killed her dad. I was thinking about this wen writing the other chapter'that's why I kinda ended their relationship.  
  
BTW, this chapter takes place 2 weeks after Artemisia gets stabbed and Folken wants to meet her'and she also went back to her family. Her mum and brother decided to go neutral, so they are just staying in Ispano, which is a neutral country. Artemisia is with Zaibach bcuz of Dilandau [and they haven't got back together yet!] but she still has a friendship with Van, so she's a bit reluctant about it.   
  
WARNING: There are 3 uses of the word "fuck" [not sexually]. And "bitch" is used once. Dilandau says of these words. Naughty Dilandau. If this is in any way offensive to you, I'm sorry. But it sure was fun swearing! Now I haf to up my ratings for his fic. Fuck.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
You were fashionably sensitive, but too cool to care  
  
Then you stood in my doorway, with nothing to say  
  
Besides some comment on the weather  
  
Well in case you failed to notice,  
  
In case you failed to see,  
  
This is my heart bleeding before you,  
  
This is me down on my knees  
  
These foolish games are tearing me apart  
  
Your thoughtless words are breaking my heart  
  
You're breaking my heart  
  
So I hid my soiled hands behind my back  
  
Somewhere along the line I must've gone off track with you  
  
Excuse me, think I've mistaken you for somebody else  
  
Somebody who gave a damn,  
  
Somebody more like myself  
  
These foolish games are breaking my heart  
  
Your thoughtless words are breaking my heart  
  
--Jewel, Foolish Games  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia's POV:  
  
It's been two weeks since my "run-in" between Van and Dilandau. I have recovered quite well from my wound, which needed almost 20 stitches! I still have some feelings left for Dilandau, yet he himself said he didn't have any feelings left for me. He also gave me freedom and never wanted to see me again. The way he said it made me feel guilty and regret everything I made myself become. Dilandau had used that icy tone that I hadn't heard since we first met in the emporium. I had gotten angry at him and I said he wasn't capable of love. Dilandau responded by digging into my wound. I saw him smile when I winced and cried in pain. After, I remember lying in my bed, thinking about what had just happened. After having so many suitors over the past year, my heart was broken. My father either didn't accept any of them or they just used me or liked me only for my looks. I had told Dilandau that my parents liked him before he left and simply said my father was a great man. I fell hopelessly in love with Dilandau and I thought he would stay with me for a long time. What was I to think that anyone would like me for me?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dilandau's POV:  
  
Artemisia is a fuckin bitch. She must really have some nerve to lie to me and tell me she loves me. It wasn't that she's an infamous assassin, it was that she lied to me about everything she was. I told her that I had loved Aurelie, not Artemisia. I spoke with her a week ago about what was going to happen to our 'relationship.' It ended right there but she herself said that she still loved me. Could have thought of that before she lied to me. I also dug my knuckles into her wound, which made her cry. At the time, I wanted nothing more than to make her hate me. After that, I think she did because she didn't approach me. That, or she took my 'I don't ever want to see you again,' comment to heart.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Dilandau, I wish to see you after breakfast," Folken said, barging into Dilandau's room. Dilandau had just woken up and by the look of anger in Folken's eyes, he knew what it was about; disobeying Folken and the way he treated Artemisia. After Dilandau found out about Artemisia, he knew Folken favoured her because she is the younger sister of the woman he loved. He's not supposed to favour anyone, Dilandau thought to himself. He heard footsteps.  
  
Turning around, he saw Artemisia. She's not supposed to be here. After staring at her for a moment or so, pondering why she was still here, Dilandau finally said, "What the hell are you doing here?"   
  
"My family decided to become neutral because there is hardly anything for them to do. I decided to stay here with Zaibach. Folken said I could stay in my room again," Artemisia explained to Dilandau.   
  
He glared at her, "Folken is an idiot. He could have at least put you with Evelyn."  
  
"That's not fair, Lord Dilandau," Artemisia stated. After lying to him, she began calling him by his proper title, showing some mild respect for him.  
  
"When is it ever fair? Was it fair when you lied to me? Was it fair when I trusted you and you betrayed me?" asked Dilandau.  
  
"I had to! I didn't want another person to use me again, like all the others have. I figured that by you not knowing my true identity, I could avoid that," Artemisia admitted.   
  
"Oh yes, those others. If you told me who you were, and what you wanted, I wouldn't use you. You know that. If anyone was used, it's me," he retorted.  
  
"It was you who made me into a servant anyway! You just plucked me off the street for doing something so fucking "offensive" to you!"  
  
"GET the fuck out!" roared Dilandau. Instead of obeying him, Artemisia ran up to him. Raising her hand, she slapped him hard. Dilandau lifted her up in the air and violently threw her on the floor. Artemisia struggled to lift her head up, taking in the throbbing pain. When she finally lifted her head up, Dilandau said, "I hope you know that my door will be locked. The door connecting my chambers to yours will also be locked from my side. Understood? Now get out!"  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Where the hell is Artemisia? Folken thought to himself as he went down the hall. He saw her door open and walked in. There was no sign of her   
  
anywhere is her room. Seeing to door that connected her room to Dilandau's open, he walked in...  
  
Dilandau stood up. 'She slapped me!'   
  
'He called you an idiot!'   
  
'Shut up, both of you! Artemisia, I want to see you later," Folken said, in a mildly angry tone. "Breakfast is ready."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia sat between Folken and Dilandau in the dining room, even after Dilandau protested against it. Artemisia ate slowly, savouring every moment she was beside Dilandau. During breakfast, Artemisia didn't speak a single word to Dilandau.   
  
Breakfast had finished and everyone had conversed about the situation with Escaflowne and King Van. "Don't touch me," he said to her when she held his left hand with her right. When she tried to let go, he squeezed her hand so hard, it began to hurt. He dug his nails so hard into her hand that it began to bleed. At this time, all the others at the table were immersed in conversation, completely oblivious to Dilandau and Artemisia.  
  
"Please stop," Artemisia uttered, her hand quite bloody now.   
  
The black carpet under her chair was slowly absorbing every drop that spilled on it. Dilandau's hand was stained with her blood, as he squeezed it even more. He shot her a malicious grin as she struggled to free her hand. Artemisia looked down at her hand in horror, biting her lip every few minutes in attempts to lower the pain of it all.  
  
Dilandau finally let go of her when he thought she had enough. Artemisia bolted up on her chair and ran straight to her room, her hands and white skirt covered in blood. She concealed her eyes from the others with her left hand. It was impossible to not see her right hand, covered in crimson blood.   
  
Folken looked from her bloody right hand to Dilandau's bloody left hand and glared at him. "You sick bastard!" he exclaimed. Dilandau stared blankly at him, as if he did not have anything at all to do with the current situation.   
  
He grabbed Dilandau's arm with his metal arm. "You, in my laboratory! Right now! Evelyn, go clean up Lady Artemisia's hands." Christabelle nodded and walked swiftly towards Artemisia's chambers.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Artemisia" Christabelle said as she walked into her chambers.   
  
"Christabelle," said Artemisia as Christabelle walked in with a bag of a few supplies.  
  
"Yes. Folken asked me to clean you up. I also got you a new skirt."  
  
"Should we go to the infirmary?"   
  
"Of course not! I'm trained in the medical fields. Follow me."  
  
Artemisia followed Christabelle into the bathroom. "Woah! This place is beautiful!" she marveled when she walked into Artemisia's bathroom. It was twice the size of Christabelle's servant dorm. The floors were made of beige marble, as well as the walls. A pattern of white and brown marble graced the perimeter of the floor while white crown molding graced the perimeter of the ceilings. An intricate design of wings on every corner of the ceiling made the bathroom even more luxurious. In the center of the bathroom, a beautiful fountain lay there with a carved white marble figure of a three dimensional fleur de lis. Water sprouted from each petal of the French lily giving it a truly feminine flare. Two sinks, a tub, and toilet were on the left side of the fountain and a quaint setting of two white leather sofas and a coffee table of glass were on the other side of the fountain. Behind the fountain was a large mirror that took up most of the wall where a vanity desk and chair lay before it.   
  
Christabelle inspected Artemisia's bloody hand. "What did he do to you?'' she inquired. She emphasized do with concern.  
  
"Dug into my hand," Artemisia explained quite casually.  
  
Christabelle rinsed Artemisia's hand in medium temperature water and then in hot water to get rid of some of the germs. Filling the sink with cooler water, she dumped Artemisia's right hand into it. From her bag of supplies, she poured it out onto the counter of the sink, rummaging around for the rubbing alcohol. When she finally found the alcohol and a cotton swab, Christabelle sterilized the marks. With an ice bag, she pressed firmly onto the marks and wrapped her hand in gauze, securing it with white tape.   
  
"Thank you, Christabelle," thanked Artemisia.   
  
"You're welcome. Doesn't Folken want to see you?"  
  
"Oh, yes. I better go. Thank you again!" Artemisia said, hugging Christabelle.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Yup! So there you go! All done....for now! Woah...I started this chapter in late summer (aug) and now it's friggin march of the next year! Well, until nxt   
  
chapter, ciao! If anyone reads this, that is...  
  
© 2004 La Femme Voxxe 


	14. Punishment

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 14: El Castigo  
  
~I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: Night of the Raven!~  
  
~Thanks for hanging on!~  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus'. I own the design of the Vione as well as this story. I DO NOT own the part where Folken breaks Dilandau's fingers because that is a part of the movie, which you should see!  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to yet ANOTHER astonishing chapter of "The Lady Killer"! LoL, I change the title of this story so many times it's confusing! But thanks to Night of the Raven, my one true avid reviewer and those who have me on author alert, I really appreciate all that you do!   
  
Nothing really has happened over the passed month so I decided to write! Plus, it's the march break! Woo-friggni hoo!  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
A light emerged from the darkness of Folken's laboratory. It was late evening and dark in the Vione. Dilandau bowed down before Folken and several other Zaibach generals and the dragon slayers. Folken stood before a red tapestry with the Zaibach symbol embroidered in its rich velvet fabric. Folken did not look thrilled at all and the dragon slayers did not speak a single word. Dilandau did not know why he was even in Folken's laboratory and the dragon slayers lined up on either side of him was only done when he did something bad or unworthy of his commander status.  
  
Folken glared at Dilandau. "Who the fuck do you think you are, treating Artemisia like that?"  
  
"What? Is that why I'm here? Who cares about her?" Dilandau answered.  
  
"All of Zaibach, for starters. She is the most important assassin on Zaibach's side."  
  
"That may be true but I sincerely think that what I did to her will not diminish her ability to fight."  
  
"It still was a waste of all our time. Evelyn has to stay with her for a few hours and she's moving to the room beside mine. You are one fuckin sick bastard!" Folken stated as he suspended Dilandau a foot up into the air. "Back when you roamed the barren lands with those wild dogs... who picked you up?" Folken asked.  
  
"You, Lord Folken…" Dilandau said.  
  
"Who gave you the dragon slayers and bestowed upon you all that you have now?"  
  
"Lord Folken…"  
  
Folken broke his fingers. Dilandau, using his last ounce of strength tried to attack him with his powers but Folken knocked him out.  
  
"Do not go near Artemisia--ever! You are dismissed."   
  
The dragon slayers picked up Dilandau and left the laboratory.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Artemisia stepped solemnly into Folken's chambers. She just could not believe that Dilandau would do something like that to her. Folken had mentioned that Dilandau would get what he deserved. However, just the thought of Dilandau getting hurt gave Artemisia a terrible feeling. Folken was becoming a lot like a brother to her yet as much as she appreciated that, the last thing she wanted was for him to beat up Dilandau.  
  
"Lord Folken?" asked Artemisia when she walked into the hall that led to his laboratory.   
  
"Come in, Artemisia," responded Folken.   
  
Artemisia came in. "What did you want from me?" she asked.  
  
"Just come closer."  
  
Artemisia hesitated. "I--"  
  
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Folken stated with a smile.   
  
Artemisia looked around the floor and noticed a small pool of blood lying nearby. "Lord Folken, what happened?" she said, indicating the pool of blood nearby.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you. Now, I've noticed that you and Dilandau have had some problems lately….after your "split". I have taken care of Dilandau and now I have to take care of you."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"Meaning that I will hope to reinforce you with something that runs in the blood of my family as well as a select few here at Zaibach.?  
  
"And what is this that runs through your blood as well as a select few here at Zaibach?"  
  
"Powers, or telekinesis, as they are correctly called from dragon blood."  
  
"How do I get these powers?"  
  
"You already have them. You just have to know how to use them. Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why is it that even if Dilandau does something horrible to you, you still manage to have feelings for him and care about him."  
  
"That's quite personal."  
  
"Well? If you don't mind me asking of course."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I can read your mind too."  
  
"Magnificent," Artemisia stated with sarcasm. The psycho can read my mind too.   
  
Dammit…probably shouldn't have said that!   
  
"I heard that!"  
  
"I knew that. Will I be able to do this too?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, if you can read my mind, you know the answer to your own question now, am I correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So there's really no point in asking. Your telling me of the "reading minds" things really defeated the whole purpose of asking me why I still love Dilandau despite all the things he did to me."  
  
"Precisely. You may leave."  
  
"Before I go, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes," Folken said, with some impatience.  
  
"Can I have the seamstress make new clothes for me?"  
  
"Sure? Why not? Now get out. I've had a rough, long day."  
  
"Thanks you, Lord Folken," Artemisia said before she left.  
  
Artemisia walked down the long marble hall of Folken's laboratory and turned the corner. She walked on until she saw the door where the seamstresses worked. Artemisia opened the door to two women who looked around five years older than Artemisia. One was sewing up a dress and the other was making sketches for elegant evening dresses.   
  
Artemisia cleared her voice,"Pardon me, but could one of you help me?"  
  
The two women looked up at her in surprise.  
  
"Sorry, Lady Artemisia. We have been very busy with making everybody's outfit for the banquet next month," apologized the seamstress who was drawing.  
  
"Yes, Lady Artemisia. Since there are not many other women on the Vione, we have a few dresses for you," said the one who was sewing.  
  
"Interesting….I came here to have a new day outfit made and an evening dress, if you don't mind. Do you have designs for those?" Artemisia inquired.  
  
"We most certainly do! In fact, I just finished designing those," said the one who sketched.  
  
"May I see those designs?" asked Artemisia.  
  
"Of course," the seamstress handed her portfolio to Artemisia.   
  
Artemisia looked at the outfit. The strapless dress was longer than the one she was wearing as it went down to the knee. There were two layers to it and the top layer was white cotton with an embroidering of a soft pink flower near the bottom of the dress. The second layer was translucent lined with silk and it was an inch longer than the first layer. The back of the dress was a laced up and it would expose her back alittle bit, but Artemisia did not care. The dress was beautiful.   
  
"This is gorgeous," Artemisia remarked, in utter awe of the dress.  
  
"Thank you, Lady Artemisia," said the one who drew.  
  
"You're welcome! And your name is…?" Artemisia asked.  
  
"Lucinda…," said the one who drew.  
  
"…And this here is Natalia," she added, indicating the seamstress who was sewing.  
  
"Good work, ladies," Artemisia said. "When will I be fitted?"  
  
"As soon as tomorrow morning," Natalia said. "We need to measure you first. Lucinda?" she said, handing some measuring tape to Lucinda.  
  
Lucinda took the meaduring tape from Natalia and beckoned Artemisia to stand in front of her.  
  
Lucinda measured Artemisia's chest, hips, and waist. "Chest: 29", hips….you don't have any hips, hon! Just kidding! Anyway, hips: 29" and waist: 19","  
  
"19 inches?! Are you sure? I was 23 inches last time I checked!" Artemisia said. She knew she was quite small, but not THAT small.  
  
Lucinda measured her waist again. "Yes, 19 inches. You need to eat more hon!"   
  
  
  
"So it seems. Thank you, Lucinda and Natalia," Artemisia said before she left.  
  
Hmm…I get a new outfit tomorrow. How exciting…L At least I don't have to wear this sleazy number anymore! Artemisia thought, thinking about her outfit. I mean, who wears a friggin mini-skirt to work? If you can call this work.  
  
Artemisia turned the courner and saw Dilandau in the hall, sulking and looking at his hand. Dilandau! Artemisia thought, thinking that he was peering at the beauty of his hand. He was walking straight towards her and Artemisia stood there, her mind frozen. I'm not supposed to be near him! Honestly, if you can get lost in the Vione, you can surely avoid a person in it!  
  
However, Dilandau did not miss her "Artemisia….what a pleasant surprise…" Dilandau said, smirking at Artemisia.   
  
"Lord Dilandau, don't you have to meet Lord Folken?" Artemisia inquired.  
  
"I already have," Dilandau said, holding up his hand and pointing to it.  
  
Artemisia had no clue why he was doing that. "What? What's with you and your hand?"  
  
"Folken broke all my fingers, you idiot!"   
  
"Well, you deserved it, if you ask me."  
  
Dilandau was seething. His eyes grew darker as he looked upon Artemisia's smile growing on her face. He raised up his good hand and was about to slap her.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Dilandau," a familiar voice said.  
  
"Lord Folken, how nice of you to drop by…" Dilandau said.  
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: MWAHAHAHA! I leave you on a semi-cliffhanger! Well, nothing has really happened in this chapter and I'm just preparing you for the huge climax! Well, the huge climax WAS the unveiling of Artemisia's TRUE identity, but there's also the question of the whodunnit thing with the person who killed her father…  
  
Well, until nxt time, ciao, bella! Yup! I'm learning Italian! Too bad I screwed up the beginner's tape! Now I must pretend that I am advanced! Advanced, dammit!  
  
Hehehe *looks around* don't mind me! It's just too early in the morning for me!  
  
© 2004  
  
La Femme Voxxe 


	15. Powers

The Lady Killer  
  
Chapter 15: Poderes  
  
~I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: Night of the Raven!~ and Artemis!   
  
~Thanks for hanging on!~  
  
--begin legal shit  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus's. I own the design of the Vione as well as this story.   
  
--end legal shit.  
  
A/N: LoL @ Artemis….yeah, I used your name cuz Artemis is the virgin Greek goddess of the Hunt and twin of Apollo. I used her because she wasn't a whore-ish goddess and she and Artemisia both kill vermin. I changed it to Artemisia cuz there's also that painter, Artemisia Gentileschi whom I admire and I named Artemisia after her! Sorry if you had high hopes! Who knows? I just might change it back!  
  
Oh yeah….ppl keep asking me about the symbolism of the blue-eyed sparrow. It's my family's symbol. I know….weird, but my dad, some of his brothers, and my grandpa all got the same tattoo on their arm. I wanna get one on my shoulder blade….that's gonna hurt like a bitch!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Take my photo off the wall   
  
If it just won't sing for you   
  
'Cause all that's left has gone away   
  
And there's nothing there for you to prove   
  
Oh, look what you've done   
  
You've made a fool of everyone   
  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun   
  
Until you lose what you had won   
  
Give me back my point of view   
  
'Cause I just can't think for you   
  
I can hardly hear you say   
  
What should I do, well you choose   
  
Oh, look what you've done   
  
You've made a fool of everyone   
  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun   
  
Until you lose what you had won   
  
Oh, look what you've done   
  
You've made a fool of everyone   
  
A fool of everyone   
  
A fool of everyone   
  
Take my photo off the wall   
  
If it just won't sing for you   
  
'Cause all that's left has gone away   
  
And there's nothing there for you to do   
  
Oh, look what you've done   
  
You've made a fool of everyone   
  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun   
  
Until you lose what you had won   
  
Oh, look what you've done   
  
You've made a fool of everyone   
  
A fool of everyone   
  
A fool of everyone   
  
à Jet, Look What You've Done  
  
"Artemisia, when you are using your powers, the first rule is that you must never use them against another person unless the situation calls for it. Secondly, you must be able to control your powers because sudden bursts of emotion can release your powers and make you do awful things to those you love," Folken started. He and Artemisia were on her balcony the next morning. Dawn had broken the clouds and the sunlight danced on Aretmisia's black wavy hair. It was her first lesson with Folken and she imagined that things would go well.  
  
Folken continued, "I'm going to start with concentration because it is the most important thing associated with telekinesis. You must concentrate on the item you are moving. And when I say concentrate, I mean concentrate."  
  
"But I don't have anything to lift," Artemisia pointed out.   
  
"Good point. I'll go get something," Folken said. He retreated from the room and returned a few moments later with a silver pen in his hand. He went back to where Artemisia stood and lay the pen on the ground a couple metres away from her.  
  
"Look at this pen, Artemisia. Concentrate on it," he instructed.  
  
"A pen?" Artemisia inquired.  
  
"Who cares? You have to start with something small, THEN you can move on to people, desks, and other things. A pen may be small, but it's significance is not. Although that may seem a bit too philosophical for a pen, I was trying to make a point. Now … concentrate!"  
  
Artemisia took the pen off the ground and looked at it. She touched it's cold silver body and smelled it.  
  
"Why are you sniffing my pen?"  
  
"I'm trying to concentrate on what I can learn about the pen by using my senses. The look, feel, even the scent. And no, I'm not going to taste it or listen to it. Besides, you have to concentrate on something."  
  
Folken looked at Artemisia as is she were a lunatic. "Carry on then."  
  
Artemisia placed it carefully down on the ground and knelt down next to it. Folken knelt down beside her. She concentrated on the look, the smell, the touch of the pen. Her eyes set on it and Artemisia concentrated on all aspects of the pen and its foundations. With a sudden surge of willpower, Artemisia listed the pen from the ground with her mind. It levitated majestically in the air with Artemisia's eyes on it the entire time. She guided it solely as it soared ten feet above Folken and her. She held out her hand and the pen landed smoothly in her palm.  
  
Artemisia handed the pen back to Folken and smiled. "Simple," she said.  
  
Folken gazed at Artemisia for a moment. "You're quite good for a beginner."  
  
"Really … are we done with this then?" Artemisia inquired.  
  
"For today, I would say 'yes'," Folken responded.  
  
"Alright. Goodbye, Lord Folken," Artemisia said with a wave. Folken left, still amazed as to how Artemisia learned so quickly. Either I'm an impeccable teacher, or that girl truly has the "gift," he thought to himself.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Earlier that evening …  
  
"Dilandau, perhaps I wasn't clear with what I said earlier today--get out of Artemisia's sight. Do you have to learn your lesson again?" Folken said rather menacingly.  
  
I heard you the first time," Dilandau replied--I was just saying "hi" to Lady Artemisia. May I ask for some privacy?"  
  
"No you did--" Artemisia started. She stopped when Dilandau flashed her a threatening look.  
  
"Dilandau, go to the training room. Artemisia, come with me," Folken instructed, grabbing Artemisia with his cold metal arm.   
  
End earlier that evening sequence …  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not uploading earlier--I went to leadership camp the previous week and I was extremely busy the passed few weeks! Well, I was gonna write more for this chapter, but that's all I got! The whole "begin and end" sequence type stuff is new and I like it, soz I'm gonna keep it!  
  
I cut my hair today! It looks so cute! I was really surprised cuz I did a crap job cutting my hair the last two tries but I'm pretty happy with what I did!  
  
Ok…well, I'm dying my hair right now and I better rinse it off, so ciao!  
  
Review please! It only takes like a second!  
  
© 2004 La Femme 


	16. The Invitation

The Lady Killer

Chapter 16: La Invitación  
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to: Night of the Raven!   
Thanks for hanging on!

--begin legal shit  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus's. I own the design of the Vione as well as this story. I also do not own "Unintended" by Muse.

--end legal shit.

A/N: Hey….sorry if I haven't been uploading much…I just have had way too much hmk the last couple of weeks. Plus, I'm notorious for my procrastinating! Anyway, in this chapter, Artemisia gets invited to spend the day in Ispano with the dragon slayers, specifically Miguel. Everyone at Zaibach is invited to join Asturia for a ball. Dilandau also visits Artemisia while she's "sleeping" and sees that she still wears his promise ring. He asks her why she still has it on. LoL! Let's see her give a straight answer to that!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You could be my unintended   
Choice to live my life extended   
You could be the one I´ll always love   
You could be the one who listens to   
My deepest inquisitions   
You could be the one I´ll always love  
I´ll be there as soon as I can   
But I´m busy mending broken   
Pieces of the life   
I had before  
  
First there was the one who challenged   
All my dreams and all my balance   
She could never be as good as you

You could be my unintended   
Choice to live my life extended   
You should be the one I´ll always love  
I´ll be there as soon as I can   
But I´m busy mending broken   
Pieces of the life   
I had before  
I´ll be there as soon as I can   
But I´m busy mending broken   
Pieces of the life   
I had before  
Before you

àMuse, Unintended

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn broke through the early morning sky on a cool Ispanian morning. The floating fortress was hovering above Ispano, Artemisia's home country. Within the fortress, the dragon slayers were preparing to go for an afternoon jog in Artemisia's home country.

Artemisia stretched her arms and yawned. She kicked off the white linens and walked out to the balcony. It's such a beautiful morning, she thought.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dilandau walked to the breakfast dining hall. It was early morning and hardly anyone was awake yet. Dilandau couldn't keep his mind off Artemisia. He didn't care what he did to her even if everyone else did. She's a fucking assassin, she can take care of herself, Dilandau thought. Artemisia was very clingy it seemed to Dilandau. She defied Folken's orders and followed him everywhere he went. No one could deny her strong feelings for him and Dilandau, being the person he was, was completely oblivious to it.

At this time, he was wandering around aimlessly in the Vione and stopped before Artemisia's chambers. I think I'll pay her a visit, Dilandau thought, his eyes set upon Artemisia's bedroom door.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artemisia looked at her hands. They looked much better since Dilandau tore up the skin.

She turned her head to the bedroom door. Footsteps echoed in the hall and she recognized the rhythm of the footsteps--Dilandau! Artemisia withdrew from her balcony andm with soft footsteps, she went back into her bed and pulled the covers over her to her chest. She lay her arms by her side just as the door knobbed turned. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

Dilandau walked into Artemisia's room and, to his surprise, she lay sleeping on her bed. This seemed unusual to him as she usually got up long before he was awake. She breathed rapid, even breaths and her hands lay on top of each other beneath her head.

He knelt down and looked at her closed eyes. They were moving rapidly as if she was having a disturbing dream. As if he intended to calm her down, he stroked her cheek and noticed something sparkle on her left hand--his promise ring.

Dilandau looked at her ring in wonder thinking that all the rumours were, in fact, true. Artemisia still loved him and the ring was an obvious sign of it. He gently touched the 50k diamond until he heard Artemisia let out a deep breath.

Artemisia had woken up.

She snatched her hand away from his grasp the minute she opened her eyes and gazed into his garnet eyes.

"What are you doing here? Why are you touching my ring?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. The way she rubbed her eyes convinced Dilandau that she had woken before he came in.

Dilandau smirked. "The question is…why do you still have my ring on your marriage finger?"

"Shut up…..I only wear it so if I ever go out, men won't hit on me," Artemisia lied.

Dilandau rose from her bedside. "Really? I don't have time for this anyway. I have to go for a jog this afternoon with the dragon slayers."

"Yes…now stop wasting your time and go get the post," Artemisia said, practically yawning.

Dilandau abruptly went to the door and closed it behind him, still wondering why she still had the bloody thing on her finger. Artemisia was horrible at lying. He even believed, without being conceited, that she still had feelings for him. They probably weren't as strong as they were, yet there were still traces of them and the way Artemisia looked at him made this theory stand stronger.

As Dilandau turned to go down to the entrance of the Vione, he saw Christabelle walking down the marble hall, holding a few envelopes.

"Is that the post"? Dilandau asked, stopping in his steps.

Christabelle stopped and showed them to him. "Yes, Lord Dilandau. Do you wish to see them?"

"Sure," Dilandau shrugged. Christabelle handed him the envelopes and one fell lightly to the floor. The envelope was the colour of crimson, the official colour of the country of Asturia. Christabelle bent down and picked up the envelope. "Lord Dilandau, here. This looks important," she said, handing it to him.

Dilandau dropped the remainder of the post to the floor and looked at the grand black seal of Asturia. He ripped the envelope open and inside was a white letter with strong crimson and gold accents. It smelled of roses, Asturia's national plant. It was an invitation. Dilandau looked at Christabelle and said, "Thank you, you may go prepare breakfast now or something…" he said. Immediately, he turned and headed off towards Folken's chambers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breakfast had finished and everyone was wondering why Folken hadn't allowed them to leave yet. The dining hall was noisy and bustling with conversation with the generals, dragon slayers, and even the ladies drinking wine.

Folken stood and hit his spoon lightly on his half empty wine glass. Everyone stopped chattering and turned to him.

"We've received an invitation to Asturia this morning," Folken started. "It is for a ball celebrating our success in the war." He stopped, looking at the invitation. He held it up to eye level and read it aloud for everyone to hear:

"His Majesty Grava Efud Aston requests the honour of the presence of

The Generals of the Four Demon Armies (Adelphos Gein, Helio Eides, Zodia Quu, and Getin Gus)

Lord Folken

Lord Dilandau Albatou

The Dragon Slayers

Lady Artemisia Parnassus

And guests of Zaibach

at the ball in celebration of your progress in the Great War

on the thirtieth of Red

at half after seven o'clock in the evening

His Majesty Grava Efud Aston's Palace

Palas, Asturia

"I expect us all to be there and you may select a companion to the ball if you wish," Folken finished, sitting down. There was a long pause amidst the breakfast crowd. Dilandau and Miguel stared at Artemisia longingly while Folken caught Christabelle's eyes. Artemisia looked up at Dilandau who smirked and abruptly left. Everyone else stood and followed Miguel out of the dining hall.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artemisia walked down the dark corridor that lead to the gym. She hoped Dilandau was there so she could quickly find her courage and ask him if he would accompany her to the ball. Not to her surprise, Dilandau was nowhere to be seen and Miguel sat at the bench outside, drinking water.

"What brings you here, Lady Parnassus?" he inquired.

"I came here to see Dilandau. Perhaps you know of his whereabouts?" Artemisia asked.

Miguel pointed to the gym. "Lady Parnassus,"

"Please, call my Artemisia," Artemisia said.

"Artemisia, if you're here to ask Dilandau to the ball, he's already taking … some girl," Miguel lied. "Besides, you're going against Folken's order."

Artemisia looked heartbroken. She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms. "I don't care what he thinks. Who is Dilandau taking to the ball and what happened to his hand?" Artemisia asked quickly.

It took Miguel a moment to understand what she was saying. Apparently, his plan to get Artemisia to be his companion worked. She seemed to believe that Dilandau had asked some anonymous girl to the ball! He avoided her first question and answered the second, "That was Folken's doing. After he found out about your abuse at the hands of Dilandau, he lost it and broke his fingers. He also knocked him out for a few hours."

Artemisia remembered the pool of blood in Folken's lab. "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago. Just before Folken wanted to see you, I believe," Miguel informed Artemisia.

"It's all coming together now. The blood on the floor and Dilandau's bandage. How's Lord Dilandau?" Artemisia asked.

"He'll be fine. He's been doing a lot of running. In fact, we'll be jogging in Ispano this afternoon. Care to join us?" Miguel asked, with a smile.

"Dilandau will be there/"

"Right. How about you join me in Ispano after Dilandau and everyone else leaves? We can take a transport and you can visit your family," Miguel asked.

"I don't see why not," Artemisia stated.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Ok! That was the end of this month's chapter. Really sorry I didn't update sooner. I seriously had writer's block and so much English hmk to do before this! I know this chapter was a bit long but still, who cares? In the next chapter, I'm gonna have Artemisia and Miguel having a good time in Ispano and Dilandau lagging around being an asshole. LoL! That should be fun! I've already got it written so it should be in next week. Happy Memorial Day!


	17. A Soldier's Life

The Lady Killer  


Chapter 17: La Vida de Un Soldado (Life of a Solider)  


  


I would like to dedicate this chapter to: Night of the Raven!   
Thanks for hanging on!  


  
--begin legal shit  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of escaflowne, including the guymelefs, the characters and the countries, except for artemisia and the rest of the parnassus's. I own the design of the Vione as well as this story. I also do not own "Unintended" by Muse.  
  
--end legal shit.  
  
A/N: Hey! Wahoo! I'm sorta updating regularly now! Well .... until the next two weeks cuz I have exams soon! Shit! They sure as hell suck ass! Anyway....I made the honour roll, wahoo...I got the 14th highest average of my grade....and there' like 200 ppl in my grade so I'm kinda glad!   
  
Guess what? Rugby players from Wales came to our school Monday and Tuesday!! And they're gone now! Noooo!  
  
This chapter circles around the growing love triangle between Artemisia, Dilandau, and Miguel. Miguel and Artemisia are becoming great "friends" and we take a look at how Dilandau favoured Artemisia over his dragon slayers and the life of a soldier.

* * *

Miguel opened the transport door and helped Artemisia getout. of it. The dragon slayers had arrived in ispano and Miguel had requested to Dilandau that he wanted to venture off alone. However, he excluded the fact that his companion was Artemisia.  
  
"It's so lovely to be back in Ispano after all these months," Artemisia said, marvelling at the beauty of her home country.  
  
"Yes. This sure beats the hell out of the Vione," Miguel commented.  
  
Artemisia shot him a challenging glance. "The Vione beats the hell out of the poverty-stricken countries of Gaia, so be grateful. Besides, I thought you liked the Vione."  
  
"I do....I just don't have the greatest ... accomodation."  
  
"Your room must be large enough to live in."  
  
"It's slightly larger than the average servant's room with a bunk bed to the left of the room when you walk in. I share it with Gatti."  
  
"Oh ...," Artemisia sais, embarassed.  
  
"Dilandau only gave you that grand room beside his because he likes you."  
  
"If he likes me, he wouldn't have..." Artemisia trailed off. It was her first day off the Vione since she was caught and she was spending it with a person she really wanted to get to know. She certainly didn't want him to get involved with her personal issues with Dilandau and his abuse.  
  
"Wouldn't what?" Miguel questioned.  
  
"Never mind," Artemisia said, forcing a smile. "Where do you want to start jogging?"

* * *

So this is how the noble live. Dilandau thought to himself as he stared up at the Parnassus manor. it stood five stories from the ground with turrets and bay windows adding to its splendour. The mansion was sparkling white with a red roof with grooves in it, reminiscent of the Ispanian architecture. Solid metal dorrs painted black gave the mansion a hardcore look. The grass was a healthy shade of earthy green and a cherry blossom tree grew on the front yard. Before this stood a beautiful stone fountain with a stone sword in it. No one would have guessed this amnsion was home to the top assassins in Gaia.   
  
Dilandau withdrew from the wrought-iron gates and headed out of Artemisia's upscale neighbourhood to the bazaar nearby.  
  
Miguel said he wanted to go solo when jogging and the other dragon slayers followed suit so Dilandau was left with his throughts.

* * *

"You're pretty fast you know, for a stick!" Miguel said, catching up to Artemisia.  
  
"Well, I do have to learn how to run fast, in case I screw up on a mission!" Artemisia siad, smiling. It had been a while since she felt so happy about life and it only took a quick jog with someone new.   
  
"I wonder where the rest of the guys are," Miguel said, looking around.   
  
"Who carse? We're here for like 5 hours! Hey, I've got a crazy idea!" Artemisia said.  
  
"What?" Miguel said, midly interested.  
  
"Let's go to my family's house!"  
  
"Sure!" Miguel said, expecting something better. He just hoped Artemisia's house was as beautiful and grand as everyone said it was.

* * *

"Ichi, ni, san!" (A/N: one, two, three in japanese) the crowd cheered as Dilandau downed his ninth shot of warm sake. Dilandau had headed into a small bar outside the market where bizaar drinking competitions were held.   
  
From across the bar, the owner took one look at Dilandau and knew two things just by looking at the silver-haired boy: that he was Lord Dilandau of Zaibach and, instinctively, that he was beyond wasted.  
  
He stood up from his bar stool and approached Dilandau. "You must be Lord Dilandau of Zaibach."   
  
A loud burp escaped from Dilandau's mouth.  
  
"Right. You've certainly had too much to drink so could you please....leave?" the owner asked.  
  
"I can fight you!" Dilandau challenged, raising up a fist. he could barely see the owner and he could barely focus on anything. His vision right now was as good as that of a half-blind homeless owner.  
  
"I don't think so," the owner said, grabbing Dilandau. Right now, the crowd that had been cheering on Dilandau made a circle around the bar owner and Dilandau. The crowd made way for the owner as he dragged Dilandau to the door and out of the bar onto the street.   
  
Dilandau pulled himself up and roamed the streets of ispano alone. His gut hurt and he had no clue where his dragon slayers were. More improtantly, he had no clue where he was.  
  
He looked up and spotted a large park up the street with dozens of people walking along the boardwalk. I think I'll go there and lie down on a bench. he though. Someone's bound to find me there. Dilandau headed up the street to the park. We're supposed to be jogging here anyway.  
  
"And that explains the hand," Artemisia said, holding up her hand.  
  
"Artemisia, you shouldn't let Dilandau abuse you like this, it never turns out well. I'm surprised you still have feelings for him," Miguel argued.  
  
"I'm meant to be with him! When my father met him, he said he would be suitable for me!"  
  
"I doubt your father wanted to match you up with someone who abuses you."  
  
"You don't understand! Dilandau was one of the last suitors my father wanted for me."  
  
"You have a choice, make the right one. Besides .... I'm sure you have a wide selection of suitors by now. Isn't it custom to have a debutante ball when you're fifteen?"  
  
"Yes....but I've only turned fifteen on Turquoise 31st (A/N: equivalent of December 31st) so that's about ten months worth of suitors. My father never got to marry off my sister, Evangelina, so he really tried to meet as many suitors for me as he could. Between then and the time he passed away, I had met thirty suitors...."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Are you OK?" Artemisia asked Miguel.  
  
"That's a high number," Miguel said, surprised.  
  
"Well, not compared to Evangelina and her fifty suitors."  
  
Miguel stopped jogging at this. "So you meet them throughout your life?"  
  
"Well, I usually went on dates with them and I did this when I wasn't on any missions, which was like, two days a week. Sometimes, I even did it right after a killing. It was kind of funny, coming home, with blood on my pants, slightly traumatized and getting ready for a date, who only knew I had loads of money. Evangelina was better at it than I was. Her missions ended earlier than mine did and while I was late for all my dates, she was exactly on time!"  
  
"Wow....it's amazing how you can balance all that," Miguel said.  
  
The pair stopped jogging. From where they were, they could see the streets of Ispano. it was simply a breathtaking view.  
  
Miguel's voice became gentle. "I know Dilandau is above you, but that doesn't mean you should take all his orders, especially when it goes against what you think is right."  
  
"I tried to pull him off but he was too strong! I love Dilandau unconditionally!"  
  
"Artemisia, you are one of the most skilled and effective assassins of your age. Use you skills against Dilandau. You don't deserve his torture."  
  
Artemisia stared at him blankly. Miguel was the first person she told about her issue with Dilandau and he knew what he was talking about. She did have a choice and she knew which one to choose.  
  
Artemisia took one step close to Miguel and smiled, showing off her brilliant pearly white teeth. She leaned in to Miguel and he paused, thinking what would happen if Dilandau caught him kissing his ex-girlfriend. He kissed her anyway and they held on to each other for a moment until they heard cries of hatred growing louder.  
  
"Get your fucking hands off her! She's mine!" Dilandau exclaimed, his red eyes growing larger. The man was insanely jealous at this sight.  
  
Artemisia broke away from Miguel. "We were through a month ago, Dilandau! You made it clear when you did this to me!" she exclaimed, pulling up her tank top to expose her wounded side. Miguel knew she was going mad on the account of the false claims.   
  
Miguel couldn't say a single word because Artemisia had already gone on and punched Dilandau in the cheek. Turning Dilandau's ring so the stone was on the inside of her palm, she slapped him across the other cheek, scraping off a strip of flesh. A crowd was now forming around the two with Miguel standing off to the side.  
  
Dilandau rose to his feet and tried to focus on Artemisia. "Don't make the same mistake again!" he threatened. In an attempt to punch Artemisia, she ducked and blocked his strikes. She extended her right leg and swung it around in the air with her hands and left leg on thr ground, spinning. With a quick swing, she kicked Dilandau in the face. This flung him to the floor and a trickle of blood ran from his nose. His left cheek was badly bruised and his stomach hurt like hell. He tuned to face the ground and bluish-green vomit expelled from his mouth.  
  
"That felt good," Artemisia said. She motioned for Miguel to come to her and they both jogged off, leaving Dilandau on the ground.

* * *

A/N: Yup...she kicked dilandau's sorry ass! Guess what? I saw the Harry potter movie today for a school trip! Boo-yah! It was really good! I like the part when hermione punched draco! lol, the whole audience was laughing and we all clapped! But it seemed so short and it didn't feel like they spent the whole year there cuz they were mostly at Hagrid's and that surrounding area.  
  
Anyway....hope you like this chapter! I've got more in store for next week!  
  
Oh yes, and ichi, ni, san means one, two, three in Japanese!  
  


© 2001 - 2004   
La Femme  



	18. The Ball

**The Lady Killer**

**Chapter 18: La Pelota**

**By: Rockeye (aka LaFemme)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "About Her" by Malcolm Mclaren, which is a cover of The Zombie's "She's not there". I also don't own the gold Versace dress mentioned in this chapter.

**A/N:** It's been quite a while, hasn't it? This is all about the ball and i hope you guys enjoy it! I havne't written in a while because i wrote a lot of stuff but I didn't feel that it was good enough, so I edited a lot of it. Hope you enjoy this!

**This chapter is dedicated to:** Kimpatsu no Hoseki, Me;I;Tk, Thymes Mistress, and Night of the Raven. Thanks for hanging on, guys!

**Kimpatsu no Hoseki:** I wrote them in Spanish and English titles because Artemisia is from Ispano, which is very much like Spain of our world. It's not like that in the series, but I thought it would be an interesting twist. Anyway, I translated them into English because I figured some people wouldn't understand the Spanish.

**Me;I;Tk:** Dilandau is such a character, isn't he? lol. Thanks for your review and I'm glad that you caught my drift. Dilandau was intended to be a bad guy in this story, but I made it up to you: he's super nice to Artemisia in this chapter! lol.

**Thymes Mistress:** Thanks for the positive feedback!

**Night of the Raven:** I really appreciate you reviewing this story! It's really encouraged me a lot! I also really liked the ending to "Tempest's Story". lol! Finally someone who's for Artemisia's side!

_Well no one told me about her_

_The way she lies_

_Well no one told me about her_

_How many people cried_

_But it's too late to say you're sorry_

_How would I know?_

_Why should I care?_

_Please don't bother to find her_

_She's not there_

_Well no one told me about her_

_How many people cried_

_But it's too late to say you're sorry_

_How would I know?_

_Why should I care?_

_Please don't bother trying to find her_

_She's not there_

_She's not there…_

_Malcolm McLaren, About Her_

In his mind, Dilandau was replaying the things he did to her. I abused my own girlfriend and she didn't even do anything wrong. He slowly sat up in the chaise lounge and stared at the delicate rose he held between his fingers. An idea struck him...

Dilandau rose from where he sat and walked solemnly to Artemisia's room. He opened the door to find that the room was unoccupied. He lay the delicate rose on the cream satin sheets and found his way out of the room. I'll try to owe her back for all the wrongs that I did, Dilandau thought to himself. I'll have one of the seamstresses design a dress for her and she'll attend the Celebration Ball with me. It would all be annonymous, of course. His pace quicked as he headed towards the seamstresses' rooms to inform them of his idea.

Dilandau waited at the Vione port for Artemisia to arrive. Artemisia, Dilandau along with all the dragon slayers were to share one transport.

Artemisia came running in her heels to Miguel. "I'm here now! We can leave," she exclaimed, grinning. "Oops!" she said as she tripped and fell into Miguel's arms.

"Watch it, Artemisia. Those shoes can be lethal," Miguel teased as Dilandau simply sighed with impatience.

Dilandau walked casually to the transport and motioned to Artemisia to catch up to him. He quickly explained to her that she had to be his companion to the ball. Folken had said that it would appear better if she went with someone of Dilandau's stature.

Artemisia's face softened. "I see," she said, letting go of Miguel's hand regrettably.

"You look lovely, by the way," Dilandau added.

"I present to you, Lord Dilandau Albatou and Lady Parnassus!" the announcer said as Dilandau and Artemisia walked down the red carpeted stairs hand in hand. The ball had started shortly after the men from Zaibach arrived. As tradition went, the dragon slayers had been separated from the generals of Zaibach.

From a distance, Miguel stared at the pair with jealousy sparkling in his hazel eyes. Miguel trusted Dilandau with his life, but not with Artemisia. He watched the pair walk down the eloquent steps.

Artemisia was scanning the crowd and caught Miguel's eye. She gave him a small wave and smiled shyly.

Artemisia looked shockingly stunning in her gold dress that seemed to illuminate the ballroom. When one wanted to be noticed at the ball, one would wear gold. The dress was a bronze colour with a slit that went up all the way to her right thigh. A golden corset was layered on top, givering her a glamourous look.

Not only did Artemisia amaze Miguel, but everyone else in the ballroom seemed to be amazed as well. They grew silent and watched her dance. The men were staring at her in awe while the women looked on with fiery jealousy. Artemisia and Dilandau went off to join the dragon slayers at the table while the other guests were being announced.

"Artemisia..."Miguel started as she approached him. He was speechless when she stood in front of him. Artemisia spun around in front of him, showing off her dress while his eyes stayed fixed on it. She leaned in, kissed him on the lips and took the seat beside him. In his clsoe proximity ot her, he caught her scent; fresh rain. "You smell lovely," he said, with a smirk.

"Thank you," Artemisia said, blushing. "I'm supposed to be dancing with Dilandau first and then I can choose any dancing partner I want," she informed him.

Miguel flashed Dilandau an envious gaze. "I'll see you then," he said. Artemisia and Dilandau went to the table reserved for the generals of Zaibach that included Dilandau.

Artemisia felt nervous as Dilandau led her to their table. She had never met such powerful men and Dilandau never mentioned them before. The four generals of Zaibach, Adelphos Gein, Helio Eides, Zodia Quu, and Getin Gus stood up as Artemisia stood before them. They kept their gaze until Artemisia turned to look at Dilandau, embarassed.

"Gentlement, this is Lady Artemisia Parnassus. She's a rare beauty, isn't she?" Dilandau said, introducing her to the Generals. Artemisia flashed them a quick smile. One of the generals remarked on how she even made Princess Millerna jealous. From across the room Millerna glared at Artemisia, arms crossed. The general then went on to ask if Artemisia and Dilandau were an item.

"Of course," Dilandau said, his voice with a drop of nervousness in it.

Artemisia sensed it and in a moment of boldness she caressed his face and kissed him deeply. At first, Dilandau was surprised at her actions but faked his affection anyway. He held on to her small waist in one hand and stroked her onyx hair with the other. Artemisia did not care too much for Dilandau anymore yet she wanted him to live up to his reputation. The generals knew of their relationship but were not informed of their private break up some months ago. It seemed to work because the generals seemed very pleased that Dilandau had a young woman of her stature by his side. They also neglected to see her kissing Miguel earlier. Dilandau let go of her and looked at the generals. "Young love..." said Helio Eides.

"May I have the first dance?" Dilandau asked, holding out his hand to Artemisia. She nodded her head and laid her delicate gloved hand in his.

Dilandau put one hand on the small of Artemisia's back and the other was enclosed in her hand. She laid her head on his shoulder as they swept across the dance floor.

"I appreciate you being kind to me, but I was wondering why you haven't acted up or even shouted at me...not even once," Artemisia whisphered in his ear.

Dilandau said nothing.

Artemisia took off her gold gloves and guided his hand over her scars, never looking away from his eyes. Her voice became serious. "When we were together, I always thought it was because I deserved it. You made me believe I was worthless and nothing to but a lady of the evening," Artemisia said, her face completely fearless. "And now you bring me as your date here, acting as if it never happened."

"So there was a catch to that kiss" Dilandau joked, until he saw the look on Artemisia's face. He continued"It's not my fault that you're weak. You also didn't have to say "yes" when I asked you to accompany me here. Besides, it was just a little affair, nothing more. We both knew it." Dilandau knew the words hurt her when she lifted her head from his shoulder.

Artemisia broke away from Dilandau and fled the ballroom. Dilandau stood alone for a moment, contemplating on whether he should follow her or not. Even though she hates me, I should at least explain myself, he thought.

From a table not far from where Artemisia and Dilandau danced, Miguel observed them. Everyone always knew what Miguel was feeling; they always could find it in his facial expressions. He glared at Dilandau's back until he went after Artemisia. Dilandau knew how Miguel felt about Artemisia. He did not know why Folken wanted Dilandau and Artemisia to be together and frankly, he was revolted by every single minute Artemisia spent with Dilandau. Dilandau simply did not love her at all, Miguel was sure of it.

"Perhaps you should go comfort her" Dalet suggested, seeing Miguel's jealous expression.

Miguel stood up. "If he doesn't get there before I do" Miguel said, following Artemisia upstairs.

Artemisia stayed in an elegant room in the highest floor of the Asturian Castle. She sat down on the red linen sheets of the bed and cried quietly. Dilandau found her and walked in quietly.

"I don't want to see you right now," Artemisia said. She brought up her hand to slap him, yet he caught it. She simply slapped him with her free hand.

"That's enough of that," Dilandau said, clamly. He sat down beside her nevertheless and cupped her chin in his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Dilandau, why is it that you can be a great person one day and the next, you're a complete bastard?" Artemisia asked. She brushed his hands away.

Dilandau calmly rose from her side and set himself down in a chair across from the bed where Artemisia was. Slowly, Artemisia's head rose and her eyes met Dilandau's. For a moment, she forgave all that he had done to her, getting lost in his eyes. She quickly broke her gaze and looked down at the floor. "Why do you torment me" she inquired. "Please answer me" she added.

"Because you ask."

"That's not a good enough answer."

"What do you expect from me! You always provoke me and I also didn't want to end it, if that ever occurred to you. There's just something about you that I can't find in other girls. Something about you just makes me feel like that it's fine to 'torment' you" Dilandau explained.

In a fit of rage, Artemisia leapt from the bed and into Dilandau's lap. "Who ever told you it was fine to do this to me!" she screamed, slapping his face hard. He grabbed her hands and held on to them behind her back.

An awkward silence came between the pair,

"Are you still with Miguel?" Dilandau finally asked.

"Yes," Artemisia answered.

"So he would be very happy about this," Dilandau remarked, noticing the position they were in.

Dilandau smiled at the joke while Artemisia bent her head down. He caught Artemisia's lips with hers. For a single moment, Aretmisia seemed reluctant at first but kissed him back. Although this would ruin Miguel's chance at a relationship with a beautiful girl, Dilandau did not care.

**A/N:** And that was yet another chapter of The Lady Killer. Wow, I just realized how I made Artemisia such a ho! Well, we all know that she does actually love Dilandau more than Miguel so this just proved it even more. In the next chapter, you'll find out Miguel's reaction and what happens later on in the ball. Thanks to all those who reviewed and please review again! Oh yeah, I also realized that I've been writing this story for almost three years! Isn't that insane!

© 2002- 2005 by Rockeye


	19. Perfume

**The Lady Killer Chapter 19: Perfume**

**By: Rockeye (aka LaFemme)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "Pyramid Song" by Radiohead.

_This chapter is dedicated to Night of the Raven!_ Thanks for your thoughtful review! Well, the only thing wrong with the last chapter was that Dilandau seemed kinda easy cuz she got him with only one kiss, and I expected something else, that's all. And yes, Artemisia is a little confused but she will pick one of them within the next few chapters.

**A/N:** Hmmm, I've been pretty disciplined about updating, which is good, cuz I really want to get to the conclusion of this story. When I started writing, i didn't expect to take this long writing! Anyway, this chapter takes place after the kiss. I've been kinda lazy so it's mostly short dialogue between Artemisia and some other characters, including Millerna. Oh yeah, something BIG is gonna happen in the next chapter.

_I jumped in the river and what did I see?  
Black-eyed angels swam with me  
A moon full of stars and astral cars  
All the things I used to see  
All my lovers were there with me  
All my past and futures  
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat  
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt _

I jumped into the river  
Black-eyed angels swam with me  
A moon full of stars and astral cars  
And all the things I used to see  
All my lovers were there with me  
All my past and futures  
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat  
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt  
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt  
Radiohead, Pyramid Song

* * *

Artemisia pulled her weight against his body so she was on top as they both lay in the bed. In this close proximity, he caught her scent. She smelled like a gentle rain. One of her hands went through his hair as the other supported herself on the bed. 

"I don't know why I ever left you," Artemisia said, regrettably.

"We should go downstairs. Miguel will be suspicious," Dilandau said, getting up.

* * *

Where could she be? Miguel thought to himself as he checked almost every single room. He finally came across a single door at the end of the hall. Without thinking to knock, he simply opened the door. 

"Long time no see," Artemisia said, as innocently as possible.

"What have you been talking about all this time?" Miguel asked, not a drop of sarcasm in his voice.

"Just about the black dragon...and Van," Dilandau nochalantly put in.

Artemisia got up and planted a long sweet kiss on Miguel's lips. He returned the kiss and as the couple exited the room, Artemisia looked back at Dilandau. She blew him a kiss and he gave a little smirk.

Miguel held Artemisia in his arms as they danced. He drew closer to Artemisia, so close that he could catch her scnet. She had a different scent this time. It was musky and it certainly was not a natural scent because she usually smelled like a gentle spring rain. The masculine scent was familiar, but it was not his.

The hand that held Artemisia's left hand felt her fingers. "That tickles,"she said in a girlish tone. On the index finger was Dilandau's ring! He knew at once that it was the infamous ring Dilandau had given to her with the 3 carat diamond. All the clues were coming together now; the two being in the room together, his scent on Artemisia, and the ring. She was cheating on him.

"Beautiful ring, isn't it?" Miguel asked with a hint of rage in his voice.

"Lovely," Artemisia said, oblivious to his tone. She stared at Dilandau as she rested her head on Miguel's shoulder. She felt his tension and looked up at his brown eyes flashing with rage.

"How long have you been in love with him!" Miguel shrieked, his rage now completely audible to those within earshot.

"What? Who?" Artemisia asked, a furrow in her brow.

"Don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about. Dilandau! Apparently, you weren't just talking about the black dragon. In fact, you were so busy getting your hands all over each other that you didn't even make a good effort to conceal this from me!"

Miguel broke away from Artemisia. He snatched her hand. "You still bear his ring!" He stormed off leaving Artemisia. There was no use in reasoning with him at this point.

"Miguel!" she shouted, grabbing his hand and running after him. He shook her hand off his and quickened his pace, his footsteps echoed in the Grand Hall.

Artemisia ran to the balconey, sobbing. She loved both Miguel and Dilandau equally and could not choose just one of them. In her mind, she knew it was wrong to fool around with Dilandau while she was with Miguel, yet he seemed irrisistable to her. Perhaps she was drawn to Dilandau because he was a rebel. Miguel was quite the opposite: he was innocent and a complete gentleman every single moment of the day. Her father would have approved of both of them.

The night air was cool and a half-crecent moon hung in the sky. A gust of wind disturbed the still air so Artemisia wrapped her hands around her shoulders, shivering.

From a distance, an inaudible flapping sound echoed softly in the night. Artemisia looked at the stars, shining brilliantly and wondered what the unfamiliar sound was. Her insides churned as the rhythmic flapping sound became audible. Something was not right,

An unrecognizable mecha shot out of the sky. It was as deep as ebony and, as it came closer to the balconey, Artemisia saw that it was a twenty foot long dragon with a massive wingspanthe black dragon. Artemisia had a gimplse of it before and was positive that this was what Dilandau had spoken of earlier. The black dragon descended, drawing closer to Artemisia.

A figured cloaked in armour that was unrecognizable to Artemisia jumped off the black dragon. Artemisia remained where she stood. The figure's face could not be seen as it was bathed it shadow. It drew closer to her and picked her up.

A glass-shattering scream escaped from Artemisia's lips.

* * *

From inside, everyone heard it, even Miguel, who was out in the hall. Nearly everyone rushed out to find out what happened including Millerna, the conceded princess. 

The mysterious figure mounted Artemisia onto the black dragon. Artemisia felt the figure's cold hands on her back. Her legs were shaking from both the cold and the fear that grew inside her. The figure did not speak a single word, it was as if he was a mute.

Everyone in the ballroom rushed to the balconey to investigate. They witnessed the figured grab her and withdraw a dagger.

Artemisia looked up at her captor, no longer screaming. She had lost her voice and was in complete shock. Intuition told her she was looking into the same black eyes as the person who killed her father.

As an assassin, she would have reacted immediately to the unsheathed dagger. Something inside her made her hesitate and she froze. The figure held the dagger firmly in his hand, inching towards Artemisia, his bloodthirsty eyes sparkling with excitement.

"You look so grown up now, Lady Parnassus," the figure said, his voice as cold as ice. In a split second, the figure drove the blade into Artemisia's upper thigh.

She never was injured when she set out to kill someone. Only now did she feel only a fraction of the pain her victims had felt before their deaths. The blood that trickled from the blade stained her iridescent gold dress and the figure removed the dagger from her thigh with Artemisia gasping for air. The figure put the dagger only a few inches above Artemisia's chest. She panicked because of the figure's weight on her and the blood exuding from her leg increased the panic.

Artemisia could not hold the figure back any longer. It struck again, this time on her back. In the figure's sick style, it carved some letters into it, while Artemisia winced in pain as the blade cut through her flesh. Artemisia whimpered in utter defeat and a chill ran through her entire body. In her conscious mind, Artemisia was thinking about how ashamed her father would be of her about this. Unable to think, Artemisia bit her tongue until it bled. Her blood was everywhere, on the skirt of her dress, it was dripping down form her mouth, and her back was covered with it. The pain was almost unbearable. Artemisia decided that she should run through her options. Option A was that she should lay there, letting the attacker kill her while she took in all the pain. Option B was that she gather her remaining strength and take down her attacker, just like old times.

Thnking back, she remembered that one should always look into their attacker's eyes to keep the attacker focused. She looked directly into the figure's black eyes in an innocent gaze without blinking. Artemisia kept the dagger from digging into her chest with her hands. It cut deep into her palms and fingers but she did not care. The figure moved a little because of the shock lifting some of its weight off hers and releasing her good leg. When the attacker was focused on her, she thrust her other leg in a quick movement and kicked its head, knocking its body off hers. The attacker released the dagger and Artemisia grabbed it.

"Looking for this?" she said, a smirk on her face.

The attacker looked defeated but got up immediately. She used the dagger and dug it into the attackers shoulder. Afterwards, she plunged it deep into his thigh, driving it up to his hip. He could not even stand up from the pain. To finish him off for now, Artemisia brought his head down to her knee and hit it as hard as she could.

"Artemisia!" yelled a familiar voice. Artemisia turned around from where she stood on the black dragon. It was Miguel, calling her form an open door of a transport.

Her heart was racing. She was usually calm when she went out on missions, as she was trained. She looked down at the attacker, who lay unconscious on the black dragon.

Miguel reached out to Artemisia and she took his hand, jumping off the black dragon that soon left the Asturian Palace.

"Why are you here?" Artemisia said, not exactly focused. She still held the bloody dagger in her hand. Dilandau, who was driving the transport snatched it out of her hand telling her that Folken would need it later.

"I came because I felt I had to, nothing more," Miguel said anger still residing in his otherwise sweet tones. Artemisia lay in his arms, telling him that it did not hurt her anymore. He remakred on how skillful she was and she nodded, barely listening. The loss of blood was taking its toll and Artemisia's eyelids felt heavy. Being in Miguel's arms made her feel peaceful and safe while she went unconscious.

"Artemisia? Artemisia!" Miguel exclaimed, alarmed. He lay her down on the seat, frantically checking for her pulse. "Dilandau! She's losing too much blood! get her to a hospital!"

* * *

Dilandau had cleaned Artemisia up and gave her the medical attention she needed. When he was washing her wounds, he did not flinch at the sight of his ex-girlfriend's blood on the table. However, the worst part of it was the enigmatic message the attacker had carved on her back. "She lives," was all it said and it caused great confusion. WHo exactly was she and what did she have to do with Artemisia? Was she Artemisia, or did did the message have a much deeper meaning? 

After Dilandau and the medics at the hospital finished with Artemisia, he took a long good look at her. It had been an absolutely odd and eventful evening. He wondered why Artemisia had shown her feelings to him. For he knew, she was deathly afraid of him and only went to the ball with him because of Folken's orders. Indeed, Miguel was a good man and she deserved to be with him. He knew that Artemisia and himself had no future together. Although they were skilled in battle, they had gone down their separate ways since their relationship and frnakly, Dilandau did not want to be with Artemisia.

Although she had a rare beauty, that was about all he cared about. Her skill in battle was amazing, yes, but that was where his facincation of her ended. He needed a girl with strength and confidence and Artemisia did not hold any of these traits. She was fragile and any person on the street would never guess that she was an infamous assassin. Even though he told himself this, his heart still quickened in pace whenever he was near her. Her smile alone would take any man's breath away and the rare violet hue of her iris's would cause anyone to be capitvated by her with one glance.

"Dilandau...?" Artemisia said. She had finally gianed consciousness and looked up at him. "What are you thinking about?" she smiled and Dilandau found himself speechless, for once.

Dilandau shook his head, clearing his mind. "Nothing," he said, before leaving the room.

During Artemisia's stay, Miguel came back to apologize for the way he had acted before and Artemisia forgave him. Millerna also payed Artemisia a visit, telling her how her life as a princess was not as exciting as Artemisia's and left her a dress to have for the ride back to the Vione. Artemisia graciously thanked her and headed back to the Vione the next day on the transport with Dilandau.

**

* * *

**"Do you know if Miguel is still angry with me?" Artemisia asked, trying to break the silence. 

"Now, he's mad at me. He blames what happened between you and I on me. He can be very over-protective and I've always known that he loves you," Dilandau said. His voice grew serious, "Artemisia what you did, in the castle with me, was very foolish. You know for a fact that we'll never get closer and I respect Miguel. He's good to you and treats you better than I ever did."

Artemisia paused, taking in what Dilandau had just said. "I love you," she muttered.

Dilndau laughed. "No you don't! You don't even know what love is! You're only 15 and you've only been with suitors that your father approved of, whether you liked them or not. What exactly is it about me that you love so unconditionally!" he said, growing angry by the end.

Artemisia simply smiled at him and sat back in her seat. "Well?..." Dilandau started, growing impatient. "Answer me!" he added due to the lack of response.

"What made you choose me, of all people, to take back to the Vione?" she asked.

"You were a foolish girl and I needed to teach you something."

"It took you this long to teach me about manners?"

"That wasn't it."

"I know what it was. You wanted to see how an assassin would react to pain," Artemisia suggested, indicating her wounds. "And I'm pretty sure I know how it is."

"If you want pity or an apology from me, you're not getting it!" he hissed.

"That's all I ever wanted."

"Fuck you, Artemisia. Go back to Ispano to your rigid family!"

"Don't talk about my family that way!" Artemisia retorted. In a fit of rage, she smacked Dilandau across the cheek, fully aware that he had to drive the transport. However, it was a risk she was willing to take. Dilandau did not react this time and steered the transport in the right direction, as if he deserved the slap.

* * *

**A/N:** Yup. So Dilandau does have some hidden feelings for Artemisia! I have more in store for the next chapter, which I've prewritten just for you! Oh yeah, Happy St. Patrick's day! I went to Music World and I got a free green CD crate cuz it was St. Patty's day! 

I'm thinking about rewriting this entire story cuz it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I'm not gonna do the rewrite until I'm done this first, which is gonna take another year. So please keep hanging on!

For the next chapter, Artemisia is gonna notice a different side to Dilly and Miguel is gonna give her some advice about what he thinks of the matter. I also might bring Folken back into the mix because he hasn't been around for a while and there's also something about Artemisia's would; what the message ACTUALLY means and the wounds themselves. Miguel also shows another side of him, the jealous side that you got a taste of in this chapter. There is also another clue that leads Artemisia to the death of her father!

Anywho...please review and put any comments.

**© 2002- 2005 by Rockeye  
**


	20. Dante

**The Lady Killer Chapter 20: Dante**

**By: Rockeye (aka LaFemme)**

Disclaimer: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Phantom of the Opera.

This chapter is dedicated to Zuko's lover 4 ever and Night of the Raven for their support (in the form of reviews!).

A/N: Apparently, something BIG is gonna happen in this chapter. Youpee! Sorry I haven't updated for like 7 months! I've been so busy and I'm in grade twelve now, so my hmk load is through the roof. Plus, I'm part of a club, part of student council, and senior leaders, all of which require shitloads of time to do. It's ok guys, I'm slowly coming to a conclusion to this story. I'm also starting to do my rewrite or perhaps a sequel...

_Wishing you were somehow here again,  
wishing you were somehow near.  
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed,  
somehow you would be here._

--Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, _Phantom of the Opera_

The transport had finally touched the loading dock of the Vione. In one swift movement, Artemisia pushed the threshold of the transport door and got out before Dilandau could open it for her.

She sped through the luxurious hallways and burst open the doors of Dilandau's room. . In a heat of passion, she tore the silk sheets off his bed and wiped his desk clean of his belongings. They crashed on the marble floor, creating a loud clattering sound. Artemisia did not care about the consequences--she was getting the sweet taste of revenge. There must have been some regret in her as tears flowed from her violet eyes.

Artemisia drew a torch from the hallway and burned the books on Dilandau's shelves. She threw them into the tub of water and smoke rose from the burned books. The scent of them filled her notrils and she coughed lightly. A malicious smile spread across her lips. Grabbing a dagger from Dilandau's hanging robes, she tore his sheets and amttress. Aiming the dagger at the centre of the door, Artemisia threw it and it landed exactly in its target. Artemisia leapt off Dilandau's bed.

The door opened.

"What the--" Dilandau exclaimed looking at what remained of his room in horror. He stared at his torn sheets and at his things strewn all over the floor and at Artemisia in the middle of it all, smiling. He was completely speechless and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I smell smoke--Artemisia, did you do this?" Dialndau said, looking in Artemisia's direction.

His expression was not threatening at all and Artemisia simply smiled, walking towards the door.

"Artemisia, are you ok?" he asked. He walked towards her and peered into her violet eyes. Red blood vessels covered her normally white sclera giving her eyes a somewhat red gleam. There was a wild look in them that Artemisia could not hide. She was tense when he finally touched her arm. More tears cascaded from her eyes and she let them fall.

"What led you to mess up my room...and burn things, from the smell of it," Dilandau said, rather calmly.

Artemisia shook her head and could not control her tears any longer. It was only when she began to hyperventilate that Dilandau began paying attention. "I was serious when I wanted an apology from you. Why can't you just say it, Dilandau? Then it will be all over and you don't have to deal with me anymore. I'll be out of your life," Artemisia explained.

Dilandau glared at her. "What the hell is wrong with you! Clean this mess up, NOW!" Dilandau screamed at the top fo his lungs. She lifted her head and peered into his flaming red eyes. He felt the tension when he grabbed her roughly by the arms and she winced as if in pain. He pushed her high against a pole of her canopy bed, hitting her head.

"I asked you a question! Why did you do this!" Dilanday yelled at her.

"Let go of me, you're hurting me," Artemisia said, her voice waning.

Dilandau would not listen to her. He continued to scream at her and tears streamed from her eyes in frustration.

"I'm sick of the way you treat me, Dilandau! Stop it!" Artemisia screamed.

Dilandau stopped yelling at her and put her down.

"Stop it, Dilandau! Please! You never listen to what I have to say and you've treated me worse than the ground beneath your feet since our split. I'm nervous whenever you're near me now because I always think you're going to do something terrible to me!" Artemisia explained. She was panting now, her chest rising and falling in even intervals.

smiled and began to laugh. Outraged at his inability to listen, Artemisia slapped him across the face.

His smile faded and he touched the cheek she just slapped. He stroked it, while his face grew hot and the region swelled.

"I HATE you!" Artemisia screamed at him.

"You've made that pretty obvious now," Dilandau mentioned. Artemisia could not read the expression on his face. In a single moment, he pushed her away from his bed. "Don't do that again," Dilandau said. He did not yell it, rather he simply said it without an angry edge.

Artemisia was surprised that he did not yell at her. In fact, he seemed rather calm. She turned over on her stomach and winced in pain. He had kicked her in the stomach and even the slightest weight caused great pain. Slowly but surely, she pushed herself up and cried in front of Dilandau. He bent down to pick her up and watched her cry. "I'm sorry I had to do that," Dilandua said, trying to apologize.

When he approached her, she pushed him away. "Just don't bother…" said Artemisia, gently pushing away his outreached arms. Dilandau watched as she stood up and left the room in a civil manner that deeply contrasted her earlier actions.

"Artemisia! Are you alright?" questioned Miguel as he approached Artemisia. He could clearly see the tears in her eyes and her cheeks were flushed with red. "Did Dilandau say something to you?" Miguel asked. He stroked her raven hair and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry he did that to you. You should've come back with me instead."

Artemisia shook her head and hugged him. She felt warm against this taut torso. "Let's get out of here," she whispered into his ear.

"Sure," Miguel replied as he escorted her to his room. Artemisia had become quite used to the nondescript dwellings of the dragon slayers with its concrete walls and small twin beds.

"Miguel, I appreciate all you've done for me," started Artemisia.

"Will you tell me what's wrong then?"

"It's about Dialndau. He said something to me in the transport, and then...I completely lost it. I destroyed his room and burned his books. He came in..." Artemisia paused, trying to find the right words. "...and did the usual," she finished.

Miguel's eyes averted from Artemisia's face to her arms. He took the arm closest to him and caressed the bruises gently with his hand." What exactly did he do?" he asked.

"He...grabbed me by the arms and pushed me against the pole and I hit my head against it. He screamed at me and I kept telling him to stop, but he wouldn't listen..."Artemisia told him the rest of the story and buried her face in her hands when she finished.

"Artemisia, you are one of the greatest assassins in all of Gaia. You can fight back and I know you will. The dragon slayers and I do not fight back because Dilandau can defeat us. However, you bear a unique gift that you can use at your own will. No one can ever take that away from you. So you can sit here, wishing you never met Dilandau, or you can actually show him the extent of you strength and make him wish he never harmed you. It's your choice Artemisia, make the right one," Miguel pointed out.

Artemisia was speechless. She did not know if she had the willpower to rise up against Dilandau. Miguel's suggestion also surprised her. He was a civil servant, not an advisor.

"I can't," Artemisia finally said, looking away from Miguel. "It seems pointless at the moment. Dilandau is one of the strongest on Zaibach's side and for me to even wound him would be foolish. The war is still going strong and I can't even bring myself to carry this out because of it...it would be absolutely selfish," explained Artemisia.

"Very wise. But remember: it is ultimately your choice and only you can decide what Dilandau does to you," Miguel explained, standing up.

"Miguel, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but please promise me that you will not harm Dilandau!" Artemisia pleaded.

"I just don't get it, Artemisia! He tortures you, he abuses you, and he does horrible things to you yet you have this unconditional hope inside you that he is a good person. Take some advice form one of the few people in the world that know him best--it's _never_ going to happen!" Miguel blurted out.

"I have hope because I saw it. I saw it when DIlandau and I were together. You don't know him like I knew him," she said, taking note that the last part was a bit of a cliché.

"You are blind, Artemisia. He only liked you because of the way you look. He would have done anything to have you. He wants you still, everyone knows it. Yes, I must say that he has an odd way of showing it, yet he is obsessed with you. He misses having you with him. He treats me differently now because he knows that you chose me over him. He asks about you constantly; it's almost disturbing. He wants you to feel this way about him, to have this longing for him. Don't fall into his trap, Artemisia. You knew him for a few months, I knew him for years!" Miguel exclaimed.

Artemisia turned and faced him. "Enough! You can't tell me what to do! How Dilandau treats me is of my concern. You speak this way because you are jealous! I have control."

Miguel laughed in a way that made Artemisia's insides churn. He grabbed her arm and indicated the bruises. "Yes, Lady Artemisia, you are in control. Next time, don't dictate me feelings," Miguel said, as if it was a threat.

Artemisia could not stay in the room any longer. The tension was too much. She wriggled her slender arm out of Miguel's grip, turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

_I don't need him, _Artemisia thought to herself as she hurried down the hall. Even though Miguel was slowly growing made with jealousy, he did illustrate a good point: Artemisia did have the ability to fight against Dilandau. She did not choose to because deep down, she knew that she loved him and did not want to harm him.

Artemisia summarised what had just happened through her mind. She had never seen Miguel behave the way he did just a few moments ago. He was insanely jealous of Dilandau. Miguel had probably bottled up these feelings for quite some time and never realised how much he cared for her.

_Perhaps I should go back to him_, Artemisia thought. She headed back to Miguel's dorm when an indistinguishable figure emerged from the shadows. It was difficult to tell who it was with the lack of light.

Artemisia stepped closer. "Hello?" she asked to the darkness.

The figure stood still.

She waved her hand at the darkness and grabbed the lapel of the figure's suit. She pulled the figure closer to her, thinking one of the dragon slayer's were teasing her and she looked up at the figure's face in shock.

His hair was darker now and his swarthy face was unshaven with a rough stubble around his mouth. Artemisia stroked his face gently and stared into his delirious blue eyes. They had lost all their innocense and there was definitely something wrong with the man. It was Dante Ardona, one of her many suitors. He was four years her senior, a troubled young man, but he seemed to care for Artemisia the most out of all the others. The way he looked now contrasted greatly with his appearance the last time they met. He was always cleanly shaven, poised, and sohpisticated yet he was the exact opposite now.

"Dante! It's been so long!" Artemisia exclaimed while Dante's face remained resilient. "What happened to you?"

He shook at the question and looked into her eyes. He seemed bewildered at the sight of her and opened his mouth to speak. "I'm so sorry, Artemisia." With that, he took her hands off his shirt and ran towards the exit of the Vione. Artemisia ran after him through the halls until she caught up with him.

"What do you mean? You haven't done anything! Wait!" she shrieked. Dante ran further until he reached the edge of the Vione where there were no barricades. "Dante, wait! Please, don't!" Artemisia yelled. "I'll get you a transport so you can leave."

He waited at the edge and looked at her one last time. "Nothing can save me from him," he said. He took one last look at her and leaned forward.

"Dante!" Artemisia screamed.

**A/N**: I am soooo glad I decided to go back and edit all that crap! I must've been really tired while I was writing this chapter cuz I've never seen so many errors and ill-constructed sentences in my life! As most young writers on this site, I had an epiphany during a high school English class and went back to edit part of my bs. I got into the University of Toronto for Political Science and I'm really excited about it!

Thanks for hanging on!

At this point, I dunno what I'm gonna do about that Dante character…so I'm gonna leave it up to you guys, the readers.

**SHOULD DANTE LIVE OR DIE?**

It's your choice, so vote now in your review.

**© 2002- 2006 by Rockeye**


	21. Reunion

**The Lady Killer Chapter 21: Reunion**

**By: Rockeye (aka LaFemme)**

Disclaimer: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "A Million Ways" by Ok Go.

This chapter is dedicated to redsmartiez and Night of the Raven for their support (in the form of reviews!).

**A/N**: OK, so I've come to the possibility of having 10-15 more chapters for this story and I'm gonna try and make them a bit long so I can make good use of them. I'm also gonna start rewriting a lot of them once I get off uni because I'll have oodles of time then. I've also decided to keep Dante alive for a bit, until someone votes to kill him off. Who knows, maybe some of you will end up liking him.

I'm just reading some of the older author's comments I wrote and holy shit, I wrote in such a ghetto-esque way. Dat is no way 2 write. I also used to write haus instead of house. Weird. Well, I was in grade 8-9 at the time so it's entirely understandable. Anyway, onward to the story!

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

Oh such grace  
Oh such beauty  
So precious, suspicious, and charming, and vicious.  
Oh darlin'  
You're a million ways  
Oh darlin'  
You're a million ways to be cruel.

_--A Million Ways, OK Go_

Artemisia leapt forward and grabbed Dante before he fell off the edge of the guymelef port. He tried to pull her away yet Artemisia maintained a strong grip on him.

"Just let me go, there's no point!" retorted Dante, still trying to wrestle off Artemisia.

Footsteps were heard nearby and as the footsteps came closer, Artemisia recognized them as Folken. He bent down and grabbed Dante roughly with his mechanical arm. Dante seemed hysterical when upon seeing Folken's mechanical arm and stared up at him in fear.

"What the--" Dante started.

"Let go of him, Folken," Artemisia said. Folken examined Dante for a moment until he finally released him from his grip. Dante fell to the floor with a thud while Artemisia rushed to him.

"Dante, why are you here?" she asked, her eyes growing with concern.

"I'm afraid he is not ready to answer that question yet," Folken started. "He is not the man you once knew anymore." Folken smirked at the way Dante kept clawing at his shoulder, as if trying to dig something out.

"Come, Artemisia. We have much to discuss," Folken said, trying to sound as charming as ever. He offered his hand to Artemisia and she glared at him.

"Tell me what you did to Dante!" she demanded.

"Just another failed attempt," Folken replied. Artemisia responded with a puzzled look while Dante began scratching so hard at his neck it began to bleed.

"I have to get it out, I have to get it out," he repeated to himself in hushed tones. His eyes grew wild as he repeated the phrase, unbeknownst to Folken. Artemisia caught a glimpse of a drop of blood escaping from the lesion.

She knelt down to Dante and put her hand on his shoulder. "What do you have to get out?" she inquired.

Slowly, Dante raised his head and in a single movement, unsheathed Folken's sword. Artemisia jumped back in alarm and watched as Dante carefully injected it into his arm. Wielding the sword into his shoulder, he finally picked out a tiny cube covered in blood. Wincing in pain, he managed to toss it to the other side of the port. Dante threw the knife to the floor and clasped a hand over his shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief while the two stared at him in shock.

Artemisia held her hand to her mouth, taking in the grotesque scene that happened before her. Folken grabbed his sword and placed it back into its sheath. "Enough, Dante!" he shouted. He threw Dante against the wall using his powers and faced him. "You will be debriefed and released from your duties, Dante. Artemisia, you're coming too, since you seem to be familiar with this man."

"Yes, Lord Folken," she replied, running after Folken as he dragged Dante to his laboratory.

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

Dante stood before Folken and Artemisia in the laboratory, eyes downcast. He held his hands behind his back as he listened to Folken go on about his failure.

"The chip was to remain _inside _your body and the purpose of your trip to Asturia was to locate Van, not spend the night drinking with lewd women!" Folken was undeniably infuriated.

Dante lifted his head at the last portion of Folken's rant and smiled to himself. _Everything's more interesting with drink_, he thought, smiling to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the slightest smile spread across Artemisia's lips.

Dear Gaia, how he ever missed Artemisia. Not only was she an exceptional swordsman, but she was a vision of beauty with an air of innocence and grace that was so rare. During their courtship, she remained humble, despite her family's immense fortune.

Dante was Duke of Basram, an aristocrat who inherited his mother's title and fortune, as well as his father's love of women. He had a reputation as an international playboy and used it well. With a single gaze he could get any woman to fall for him.

Artemisia, however, was the exception. He tried many times before she allowed him to arrange a formal rendezvous. At the mention of his name, Artemisia had scoffed. She was not impressed with his money or title and ignored his numerous advances.

The pair became entranced with each other during their time together. He shared his first kiss with her on his twentieth birthday, his perseverance and honesty finally allowing him a spot in her heart.

They're obvious age difference rose suspicions, yet Artemisia was so mature beyond her years that he felt she was closer to his age.

With one glance at Artemisia, a flood of memories came back to Dante. The very curve of her hips made his ache. While Folken continued his speech, Dante stood there longing for her to be with him again.

Folken stopped in the middle of his rant. "Are you even listening anymore?" he asked, seeing that Dante had averted his eyes to Artemisia. "Nevermind, this will never get through to you. I have to figure out what to do with you and I have to check on Dilandau," Folken said, irritated. "Artemisia, straighten Dante out and show him around. I feel that he will be here for quite a while," he finished, leaving the two alone.

Artemisia held her hands behind her back and averted her eyes from Dante's gaze.

"So you're an assassin. I always knew you used your talents in a more meaningful way," Dante said, taking a step closer to Artemisia.

"And you're a spy," Artemisia said with a rather angry tone.

She peered closely at his features. _He cleans up well, _she thought. The wound on his shoulder was healing and he lost the bewildered look in his eyes. The wolf-like blue eyes she was so used to looked familiar again. Artemisia could not take her eyes off of him. The scruffy look sure suited him.

He smirked. "I'm on your side, remember? I couldn't quit my old habits,"

"How did you get dragged into this war in the first place?" Artemisia questioned.

"Basram was in the crossfire of the war—between Van's side and Zaibach. Our geographical location between the two had forced it into the war. The country was divided, the east going on Van's side and the west going on Zaibach's side. Friction between the two sides almost caused a civil war, until the royal family and our team of political aides felt that going for the stronger side of Zaibach was for the best," Dante explained to Artemisia.

"Why Zaibach, even if they are the stronger? I though you didn't believe in Dornkirk's ways," Artemisia said.

"We've just been reunited and begin discussing politics. You ask too many questions, Lady Artemisia," Dante remarked, leanin in as if to kiss her. Artemisia turned her lips away from him, causing him to kiss her cheek instead.

He smirked again.

"You're not in the mood for my apologies yet, are you? My how you've grown, Artemisia. You would always succumb to my advances before," he said, suave as ever.

"It's not appropriate right now. You still haven't mentioned what that chip was doing inside of you," Artemisia looked defiant.

Before Dante could give an answer, the door of the laboratory flew open and in stepped a young man with silver hair, a dangerous grin on his lips.

"FOLKEN!" he started. "Where are you! I've got a target on Van and his—"

Dilandau stopped dead in his tracks, looking from Dante to Artemisia. Dante drew away from Artemisia.

"I see you two have gotten to know each other well," Dilandau said, with a hint of jealousy. "A failed spy and an assassin, a perfect match, I'd say," he added, a drop of sarcasm in his voice.

Dante turned his head to face Dilandau. "You must be Lord Dilandau. Folken was looking for you."

The three turned their heads at the baritone voice of Folken. "There you are, since you're all here, I might as well tell you. We've found Van and his friends. They're on their way to Freid, a small country outside of Asturia. I'm sending a doppelganger there to masquerade as a high priest. Dante, this is your last chance to prove yourself or you're gone. You'll be making sure that the priest is dead. Artemisia, you will be joining Dilandau and the dragonslayers with your own guymelef," Folken said.

Artemisia was surprised and honored that Folken had decided that she could fight with the dragon slayers, Zaibach's most elite.

Dilandau, however, was not as thrilled. "Her…with us! You have gone insane, Folken? Can she even control a guymelef?"

"Actually, I can," Artemisia cut in. "I can fight too, you've seen me Dilandau."

"Exactly. Now go! You'll be leaving in an hour," Folken informed them, abruptly leaving again.

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

**A/N**: Sorry for the short chapter! I've been meaning to get it up for weeks, but I just couldn't bring myself to write because of my crazy summer. Everything's just been so hectic with university that I couldn't find much time to write. Hope you guys enjoyed this bit.

In the next chapter, I'm gonna incorporate the episode where Zongi appears and Miguel gets killed. Artemisia's reaction to that is gonna be unforgettable and Dilandau might have a change of heart.

As for Dante…

SHOULD DANTE LIVE OR DIE?

Put your vote in your review and see where his fate leads him in the next few chapters.


	22. Persuasion

**The Lady Killer Chapter 22: Persuasion**

**A/N: **Hi everyone! I know...terribly sorry. It's been over a year since I've updated. I've been terribly busy with school and I had very little time to sit down and write. My goal is to make one update per month so I can finish this little project that has now gone for about 5 years! I should seriously get a medal for the amount of time I've spent on this little thing. Anyway, here it is. In this chapter, Artemisia tries to convince Dilandau to let her fight with the dragon slayers in The Huge Battle that all us faithful esca fans know about. Enjoy enjoy!

_I will lie for you_

_I can steal for you_

_I will crawl on hands and knees until you see_

_You're just like me_

_Violate all my love that I'm missing_

_Throw away all the pain that I'm living_

_You will believe in me_

_And I can never be ignored_

-- from #1 Crush - Garbage

"It seems that you've been doing rather well for yourself," Dante remarked. Artemisia stood before him, giving him a tour of the room by indicating its many features; the gilded ceiling, crown moulding, and ebony marble. They even seemed to impress the pretentious tastes of the young nobleman.

He held his hands behind his back, his nose in the air as if he was a curator if a museum examining a priceless piece of artwork.

It was not merely the beauty of Artemisia's bedroom that impressed him.

The infamous blue eyes averted from the ceiling to the vision in front of him. She had developed considerably since their last encounter. She had grown in height and had blossomed from a girl to a woman. Dante's eyes lit up as he reflected upon her transformation.

In a swift, bold movement, Dante walked up behind Artemisia and placed his hand on her hips. He placed his tender lips on her neck and whispered into her ear, "I still want you." He turned her head toward him and kissed her gently on the mouth. He seemed disillusioned when he realized she was kissing him back.

Thinking he was brave, Dante placed one hand on Artemisia's thigh, slowly moving up. It was at this point that Artemisia let go. She turned around to face him and punched him in the face. The sound was sharp and crisp in the air. Dante felt the blood dripped from his nose.

A grin spread across Dante's lips. "You didn't like that, did you?"

"Didn't like what?" he inquired. Dilandau, followed by Folken and the dragon slayers had come to Artemisia's room.

"New things," Dante replied.

"Dante, as adventurous as you are, we are here to arrest you for the breach of treaty--the moment you took off that chip and dove off the Vione was the moment you broke your ties with us," Dilandau explained. Miguel and Dalet proceeded to handcuff Dante, an aristocratic sneer spreading across his face.

Dilandau stayed behind while Dante, Folken, and the dragon slayers left. Dilandau walked up to Artemisia.

"What was that 'new thing' he wanted to try?" Dilandau asked, a smile on his face.

"It's none of your business," Artemisia remarked.

Dilandau turned to leave when Artemisia went to face him.

"I overheard you and Folken talking about an ambush attack on Van. I want to be a part of it," Artemisia implored.

Dilandau paused.

Artemisia perceived his hesitation as a sign of doubt. "You know I'm ready for this, Dilandau. You've seen me fight, you know what I'm capable of. My ability to fight runs through my blood," Artemisia said, indicating the mark on her forearm.

He drew closer to Artemisia. "You wouldn't want to scratch that pretty face of yours, now would you?" he asked.

Artemisia looked defiant. "I'm going to get on that guymelef whether you like it or not," she said, as she turned on her heel to walk away.

He grabbed her arm, "I'm serious, Artemisia, I don't want you to end up in the infirmary again." He sounded serious. "You have to stay here." He was constantly keeping Artemisia at bay, away from the battles she had yearned for so long to be a part of.

"For the sole purpose of what? Being your play thing?"

"Why does it always have to be an argument with you?" Dilandau inquired.

Artemisia was getting close to the reason why Dilandau would not let her go. She considered herself a prisoner of Zaibach, a prisoner with no rights, no amenities, no life. However, the lack of cell usage, intensive training, lavish meals and gowns…Artemisia was no prisoner at all.

"You've kept me here for too long to just be a prisoner. You didn't keep me in a dungeon--you've given me a room, an army of servants, expensive gifts, training. I was never supposed to be a prisoner, was I? You trained me to be a part of your army. YOU KNEW WHO I WAS THE MOMENT YOU SAW ME!!" The sudden realization caused Artemisias eyes to well up in tears.

She continued. You kept me here for your own self-interest. I stayed with you while my family was burying my own father. I became loyal to you, your very own right-hand woman. I let you use me. Not for my talent as an assassin but for my compassion as a woman."

Dilandau's countenance showed no reaction.

She shot him a dark look Dilandau had never seen before. Her violet eyes turned a deep shade of plum, her pupils so small they could barely be seen. It was a look so deeply evil Dilandau could not barely fathom it…he had never felt more attracted to her.

Finally, he smiled. "You may join us on this battle. We leave in a day."

The look of evil was gone from Artemisia's face as her mouth broke into a smile. "Thank you, Dilandau. I shall gather my things."

**A/N: **Did you enjoy that little tidbit? It's short, I know but I swear I will continue soon! I have about 5 more chapters planned and they will probably be around the same length.

Enjoy school, everyone! I will be entering my second year at university...yay for me...


	23. Last Blood

**The Lady Killer Chapter 23: Last Blood**

Disclaimer: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "Bleed Like Me" by Garbage. I also don't own some of the lines taken from the show.

**A/N:** I am embarking on one of the last chapters of TLK after my onslaught of exams. I'm writing this over my Christmas Break, which is also doubling as my weekend of fun! I got through one reading so far! In this chapter, Artemisia is officially one of the dragon slayers (first female) and she joins them in the final battle that we all know too well. The aftermath of this battle reverberates in later chapters. Surely a pivotal chapter in this story. I decided to keep Dante out of this chapter because he wasn't really all that relevant to this point in the story. I also use Van and Escaflowne interchangeably.

_Avalanche is sullen and too thin  
She starves herself to rid herself of sin  
And the kick is so divine when she sees bones beneath her skin  
And she says:  
Hey baby can you bleed like me?  
C'mon baby can you bleed like me?_

_--Bleed Like Me, Garbage_

Miguel was pacing in the east corridor of the Vione, thinking of ways in which he could ask Artemisia to gently decline Dilandau's offer to join the dragon slayers in the last battle. Although she was a highly trained and talented assassin, defeating the Escaflowne in the first battle was certainly a daunting task. He cared too much for Artemisia to have her die in a dangerous battle.

"Miguel?" said a quiet voice down the hall. The footsteps came closer. It was Artemisia, standing in front of her door. She looked ethereally beautiful in the marble hall, her hair illuminated by the light.

Miguel spun around. "Oh, Artemisia, there you are. I was meaning to t-tell you something," he stuttered.

Artemisia put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He calmed down a bit and asked if they could go somewhere privately. Artemisia led him to her private chambers.

He began his spiel, "It has come to my attention that Dilandau has asked you to join the dragon slayers for the battle against the Escaflowne. And I am against his decision." He said the latter with such defiance that Artemisia smirked.

She sat down on her bed and crossed her legs. "Do you think me an ill fighter? Is that why you are against his decision?" She feigned a puzzled expression.

Miguel sat down beside her and let out a suppressed sigh. He brought up a hand to Artemisia and gently stroked her cheek. "I can't let you go," he said gently.

Artemisia stood up and looked at him defiantly. "I'm still going whether you want me to or not!"

"Artemisia! Be rational! Dilandau only wants you there because he's using you as his weapon! He doesn't care about you! If you die out there--" Miguel stopped and looked down at the floor as he was contemplating the possibility of Artemisia dying in battle. "I love you, Artemisia," he finally said.

The world seemed to stand still as Artemisia thought about what Miguel had said. He averted his eyes from Artemisia as she walked closer to him. She rested a hand on his chest and kissed his lips. He kissed her pillow lips back, savouring what has perhaps their last moment together.

"You don't know him like I know him. He only does things that will benefit him. He can be extremely foolish too, changing his mind in a split second. He listens," Miguel said, breaking away from the kiss. He held Artemisia in his arms and ran his fingers through her hair. Regrettably, he let go of her and slowly exited her room. "Keep that in mind, Artemisia," he said as he left.

Artemisia stared at the door, where he was standing and touched her lips, the kiss still fresh in her mind. Miguel was the only decent man on the Vione and she could not be with him.

The dragon slayer uniform was different from the others. Artemsia was standing in front of her bedroom mirror, admiring the different aspects of her dragon slayer armour. Artemisia's uniform was very feminine and reminiscent of the armour used in the Dark Ages. Her body was clad with segmented steel armour that made it maneuverable. Etched on the right shoulder was a stencil of a rose, Dilandau's insignia. Artemisia flexed her arm and looked at how the segments of steel folded in to one another. Her neck was bare as she needed the guymelef to draw blood from it and her hair was put up in an elegant bun. _This will probably be ruined by the end of the battle, _Artemisia thought to herself. Satisfied with the look and function of her armour, Artemisia left her room for the Vione dock.

Dilandau peered into the mirror at his reflection. He was fully dressed with his red armour and sheathed sword. A smirk spread across his lips as he stared back at his reflection. He looked like a powerful god in his armour. Standing back, he imagined himself taking down Van and his Escaflowne. _It would truly be a victory…especially for me_, Dilandau thought to himself.

His thoughts veered to Artemisia as his secret weapon. He made sure that her armour was virtually impenetrable and spent a few hours the previous night training her on how to activate the stealth cloak, how to use the guymelef's sword, and how to disable the Escaflowne. As an Ispanian, Artemisia knew most of this and her knowledge lived up to Dilandau's expectations. She even injured him a bit when she was using her defensive tactics on him. As much as he despised Artemisia, he admired her skill as an assassin.

With one last look at the mirror, Dilandau left for the dock.

"Artemisia, are you ready?" Dilandau asked Artemisia over the pilot intercom.

"I've never been more ready," Artemisia said. Her voice was confident and she said it with such vigor that made Dilandau sure that they would defeat the Escaflowne.

"The dragon hunt ends today," Dilandau said as the Zaibach guymelefs surrounded the hill where the Escaflowne stood solely. It was certainly a hellish day for a battle. The storm clouds shrouded the sun from their view while the wind blew serenely through the field. Lightening struck nearby, battle was imminent.

"ATTACK!" shouted Dilandau as all the guymelefs drew closer to the Escaflwone.

The first Zaibach guymelef, piloted by Chesta, attempted to wrap its liquid metal around the Escaflowne, to no avail. Van brought up his sword and sent the metal tentacles sprawling past him. The Escaflowne ran toward its enemy, every step causing great thuds.

One by one, Van disabled almost every Zaibach pilot, causing blood to splatter everywhere. The guymelefs were stigmatic. Clouds of dust obstructed the scene from Dilandau and Artemisia's view. Four guymelefs remained.

"Don't go in yet, Artemisia. Wait for it all to clear," Dilandau advised Artemisia.

Artemisia saw a sea of red, the remnants of Chesta's guymelef, and screamed in shock. Chesta's final, bloodcurdling scream inflicted such horror into Artemisia. Finally, his intercom connection was broken off and all she heard was static. He was gone.

"Stealth cloaks!" Dilandau ordered.

Van ripped through each seemingly invisible guymelef. It was as if he had a special power in which he could see them!

Miguel, in a vain attempt, brought up his shield, yet Van tore through it, slicing his guymelef in half. "This is for the duke of Freid!" Van said, his eyes glowing red.

It was all too much for Artemisia to bear. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!" she screamed, watching her one decent boyfriend die in front of her eyes. Her heart shattered as she saw Miguel's guymelef turn into a sea of red. Her memories of him flashed through her mind while tears swelled in her eyes. Her vision was blurred when they cascaded down her cheeks. It was this very moment that Artemisia came to a horrifying realization; killing individual enemies was one thing, but fighting a battle in a great war was a whole different entity that she could not fathom.

Dilandau did not utter any condolences as he saw his comrades fall. "Stay focused, Artemisia," was all he said.

The Escaflowne finished off the remaining Zaibach guymelefs. Artemisia and Dilandau were the only remaining ones.

"W-What's happening?" Dilandau said when he saw his last dragon slayer die before him. "Gatty? Shesta? Dalet?" he said, looking around. There remained only one more option for him: his secret weapon. "Artemisia! Go!" he commanded.

Artemisia sped full speed toward the Escaflowne. Her form was strong and she went lightening fast. She drew her sword and caused a devastating blow on the Escaflowne, but not enough to disable it. Van blocked her second blow and brought down his sword. He thrashed it across the mid-section of her guymelef, causing Artemisia's abdomen to bleed along with it. "This is for Balgus!" he said, his sword aimed at her guymelef's throat. Hitomi's pendant showed Van who the pilot was. He stopped abruptly. "Artemisia--," he said as a sense of humanity flushed over him. Artemisia's guymelef was on its knees.

"Remember where your loyalties lie!" Dilandau shouted to Artemisia.

Van drew his sword from Artemisia's guymelef. He turned to the Alseides. Rings of pale fire surrounded the two guymelefs. The ground was wet with the blood of the dead dragon slayers. The Escaflowne seemed different. There was something diabolical about its appearance. Van did not care.

"Stay away!" Dilandau shouted. He was insane, his pupils barely visible and the deaths of all of his dragon slayers fresh in his mind. Artemisia looked on, bewildered.

"And this is for Fanelia!!" Van screamed, charging toward Dilandau. Artemisia brought her guymelef up off its knees, brought down her shield and positioned herself in front of the Alseides. Van tore through her shield and threw her guymelef across the field, severely injuring her in the process. He did not care about their past, Artemisia was the enemy now.

Van charged toward the Alseides again, this time determined to bring it down.

"Stop it," said a disembodied voice. Van saw the ghost of Dalet, one of the dragon slayers he undertook. "We won't let you kill Lord Dilandau," said another voice. "Come with us. Lord Dilandau is our patron." Van could see them all now, their ghosts standing protectively before Dilandau.

"He gave us our glorious guymelefs," the voices said collectively. "We won't let you kill the man who chose us for his dragon slayers." Van drew back as he saw the ghostly figures circle all around him. He was horrified by what he saw.

"Stay away from me! STOP!" Van was screaming manically.

The sunlight finally broke through the clouds. The storm has subsided. The white Escaflowne slowly turned itself black. It looked more diabolical than the Alseides! Slowly, the Escaflowne fell on its back, Van having gone into shock.

Dilandau stared back at the black Escaflowne, the very image of it instilling fear in his mind. Artemisia was the first thing that came to his mind. He threw himself from the Aleseides and rushed to the site where her guymelef stood. Her tore through the wreckage of her fallen guymelef, scrambling for signs of life. He finally found her, her body sprawled on the chair of the pilot's seat. Her abdomen was bloody and her face was pale. Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. Dilandau looked at her chest and saw it rise and fall slowly with faint breaths. She was still alive. He lifted her up and carried her to the Alseides. _Just stay alive_ he thought to himself.

**A/N:** Yet another cliffhanger! Well sorta. I tried to make the ending of the chapter a bit nicer, since it's the holidays and all! It was a bummer to end the lives of all those characters, but I do like staying loyal to the show, to a certain extent. I probably won't be updating until after Christmas, so Merry Christmas to you all! I have about a month of holidays with the first semester of uni being over, so I have tons of time to update. Hopefully, I'll be done writing this fanfic by the end of the school year in April. It's going to be really sad, since I've been writing and thinking about this constantly for the past 5 years! Yup, it's been that long and yes, I'm just that obsessive. Wow, I have no life! I am going to have to edit this story and bring it up to caliber sometime later on. Until next time, au revoir!

**© 2002- 2007 by Rockeye**


	24. The Healing

**The Lady Killer Chapter 24: ****The Healing**

**By: Rockeye (aka LaFemme)**

Disclaimer: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. so back off. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails.

This chapter is dedicated to Litschi for her support (in the form of reviews!).

**A/N**: Finally! I'm updating in regular intervals! And internal monologues have made a return! This chapter is going to circle around Artemisia and Dilandau's recovery after the battle in the previous chappie! Artemisia also discovers more advantages of her powers. I'm also going to bring back some dragon slayers (yay!) in the form of ghosts as well as Folken, Christabelle, and Dante. Enjoy.

WARNING: This chapter gets rather graphic with some gory bits and some physical relations at the end.

* * *

I hurt myself today  
To see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
The only thing that's real  
The needle tears a hole  
The old familiar sting  
Try to kill it all away  
But I remember everything  
What have I become?

--Nine Inch Nails

Artemisia awoke with the sun in her eyes. She felt uneasy as she peered out the window. She peered at her surroundings; the heart monitor, the empty bed next to her, and the sterile white walls. _What happened? _she thought to herself as she was rising from the bed. A sudden pain ran sharply through her back. Artemisia winced in pain until a flood of memories from the previous day rushed through her mind.

"Ahh!" she gasped, fully alert. Artemisia was sitting bolt upright in her hospital bed, a bewildered look on her face.

Dilandau, who was looking on from the door, came to her side. Gently, he eased her back in bed, making sure not to touch her wound.

He sat down on her bed beside her. "You're finally awake," he said. "You hit your hit in the cockpit so your memory from yesterday may be a little hazy. You've been unconscious for two days, Artemisia. How's your abdomen? The Escaflowne cut you rather deep there," he continued curtly.

Artemisia looked up at his garnet eyes. "The battle...all gone...the black Escaflowne," she muttered, almost incomprehensible. She took a deep breath as tears cascaded down her cheeks at the thought of the death of the dragon slayers, especially Miguel. "I remember everything," she said.

She guided her hands under her gown to the bandages that were strapped around her waist. She could feel the dried blood where the wound was. She could not feel any pain from the wound. She could not feel pain from any of the wounds that were inflicted upon her during the battle. Finally, Artemisia rose out of bed, ignoring Dilandau's demands to lie down. Frantically, she tore off her gown and unravelled the bandages around her stomach.

"Artemisia, STOP!" Dilandau demanded. He grabbed her wrist while averting his eyes away from her exposed chest. _She's clearly out of her mind,_ he thought to himself.

With one arm covering her chest, Artemisia grabbed Dilandau's hand and pressed it against her abdomen. "It's gone," she said. Dilandau peered at her abdomen, amazed at what he saw. A few days ago, her abdomen was torn open and bloody, allowing her a very small chance of living. Today, all Dilandau felt was smooth skin, as if she had never been in battle.

He pulled her closer to him and embraced her, joyous over her miraculous recovery.

"Dilandau, can I stay with you tonight?" Artemisia asked. "I have constant headaches," she said.

Dilandau nodded. "I'll inform Folken about your full recovery," he said.

* * *

"It was the accelerator I gave to Artemisia," Folken said matter-of-factly. The three were standing in his lab, Folken explaining how Artemisia had managed to heal at such a rapid rate. She lay on his table while Folken examined her abdomen. "It regenerates cells at an amazing rate. Artemisia was the first recipient of the accelerator and it proved to work very well on her," he continued. 

Artemisia sat up on his table, poring over her legs where her wound from the masked assassin had sliced her. "My previous scars are gone too," she said, touching the side of her thigh. She indicated her back, where the assassin had also carved a cryptic message. It was gone, as well.

"it seems that the accelerator heals scars as well," Folken said. "Dilandau, give me your sword. I want to try something."

Dilandau handed Folken his sword, rather puzzled. "You aren't going to...?" he asked, sceptical.

Folken seized Artemisia's arm and slashed it with Dilandau's sword.

Artemisia cried in pain. "What's wrong with you?!" she asked, furious. The three peered at her arm, watching it heal itself at an impossible rate. Her arm healed itself completely in under a minute. "How much of this accelerator did you give me? How long does it last?" she asked Folken.

"Only a small dosage. For humans, it lasts for about half a year. For Draconians, a lifetime," Folken answered.

"Draconian..." Artemisia repeated, staring at her arm.

* * *

Artemisia lay in her bed, pondering the power of the accelerator. _What an odd little invention. Useful, yet odd,_ she thought to herself. 

The sharp pain ran through her back again, this time more concentrated around her shoulders. Artemisia winced as the pan grew stronger and stronger. Tears poured from her eyes as she grasped the sheets.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" she let out a deafening scream as feathered wings tore through her skin. The wings were white and beautiful with an ethereal glow to them. They had wingspan of twenty feet which made it difficult for Artemisia to move. She looked at her shoulder blades and saw that they had healed themselves over. She stroked one of the wings, feeling its feathery texture. She turned her head when she saw Folken, Dilandau, and Christabelle at her door.

"Artemisia, are you alrigh--?" asked Christabelle, in mid sentence, staring at the vision before her.

Folken ran up to Artemisia and examined her wings. "Everyone, leave," he instructed. Christabelle and Dialndau reluctantly left the room, Dilandau staring back at Artemisia's wings. She walked over to the balconey, determined to try out her new wings. She opened the door and jumped off. Folken closed her door, oblivious to this. Upon seeing the open door and the vacant balcony, he leapt over the railing and let his wings come out. They were larger than Artemisias and had large black feathers.

He spotted Artemisia at a distance, her wings flapping wildly in the wind. All of a sudden, they were gone and Artemisia was falling!

Folken flew to her at breakneck speed and caught her in his arms. His metal arm, which was usually concealed, frightened Artemisia. She gasped when she saw how far the ground was. She held on to Folken, her grasp tighter. "Don't ever do that again, Artemisia. The wings are difficult to control," Folken said when they reached her balcony.

"You gave me Draconian blood...that was what the "accelerator" was, wasn't it?" Artemisia asked.

"I needed to give that to you. You were about to die at the hand of my brother and I would never let that happen. I need you, Artemisia," Folken said, looking into Artemisia's eyes. He quickly corrected himself upon seeing Artemisia's puzzled countenance. "Dilandau needs you. You two may not always get along, but he needs someone like you around," he said, turning toward the door.

Before he left, Artemisia asked him something that confused her when she saw Folkens black wings. "Why are your wings black while mine are white?"

Folken was halfway out the door, a stern look in his eyes. "You're still pure, that's why your wings are white. Corruption and evil caused my wings to become black," he said, closing the door behind him.

Artemisia looked back at her reflection in the mirror. Folken was right, she had been delirious since she woke up. Her pupils were dilated and she had insane thoughts running through her mind.

An image flickered on her mirror. Artemisia thought she was completely insane. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, looking into the mirror. There was another face staring back at her.

"Hello, Artemisia," a phantom voice said.

Artemisia recognized the voice at once—Miguel! "Miguel!" she exclaimed, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear. His phantom emerged from the mirror and he appeared before Artemisia.

"I don't have much time, Artemisia. I came to warn you about Lord Folken and Dante. Do not trust them!" Miguel explained. "Folken is using you as his experiment. The accelerator can be unstable, that's why you have been acting delirious lately. Just make sure he doesn't give you another dose."

Staring back at him, Artemisia nodded. "I had my suspicions, but why would he want to hurt me?"

"He wanted to get rid of the scars, the evidence. He is the one you fear. He's the masked assassin!" Miguel said.

"Why would he want to kill me?" Artemisia inquired, curious.

Miguel continued. "He wants Christabelle's family to be the lead assassins again. He truly loves her and he wanted to bring an end to the Parnassus family, that's why he killed your father and sister! You have to believe me, Artemisia!!" Miguel said the last part, noting Artemisia's sceptical look.

"Just stay with Lord Dilandau tonight. He has been suspicious of Folken as well," Miguel added. His image began to fade slightly.

"Miguel, you're being foolish!" Artemisia retorted. "Folken would never do this to me!"

"Yes he would. You do not know what he is capable of! He's a tyrant. He'll do whatever he can to let his friends get ahead, especially his girlfriend, Christabelle. I've been watching him. Make sure you stay with Lord Dilandau, he'll protect you." Miguel's figure was fading even more now.

"Miguel, I wanted to tell you that I still love you," Artemisia told him, noting his image slowly fading.

"I know Artemisia. My time is over in this world and you must trust me. Folken is an extremely powerful man. The only person you can trust is Lord Dilandau..." Miguel finished, his image disappearing completely now.

She called after him, desperate to say how she felt. _Lord Folken is the masked __assassi__n_ she thought to herself. The probability was quite high but she yearned to know more.

* * *

That night, Artemisia walked into Dilandau's room that night after her shower. The day had been long and awkward. All she wanted to do now was sleep. 

Dilandau sat in his chair across the bed, a wine glass in hand. "Drink some wine, Artemisia. It will help calm your nerves."

"No thanks, Dilandau." She sat on Dilandau's behemoth bed when a thought came to her mind. "Do you think Folken is capable of murder?" Artemisia asked.

Dilandau emerged from the shadows and sat down beside her. He was shirtless and wore his jack around his shoulders, like an old general after battle. "He's capable of many things...murder being one of them. I've been suspecting that Folken could be the masked assassin. He was a skilled swordsman and a talented sorcerer. I've seen him practice a lot. Dante, that "friend" of yours," Dilandau was jealous when he said the other man's name, "is also dangerous. He's not loyal to Zaibach, he's Folken's puppet."

Remembering what Miguel had said earlier, she turned to Dilandau. "Will you protect me?" she asked.

"Always, Artemisia. I'm not going to hurt you again." Dilandau said. Artemisia noticed that he seemed gentler after the death of the dragon slayers. He embraced Artemisia. "I am a very lucky man, having you in my life," he said reminiscing.

"Do you love me, Dilandau?" Artemisia asked, looking up at him.

"You're beautiful, Artemisia. You're the only person I'll ever love," Dilandau responded.

Artemisia put her arms around his neck. He kissed her lips gently. "You're very active today," Dilandau said jokingly. She kissed him back while he put an arm around her waist. He kissed her neck and began moving his hands down to her hips. "I want you back, Artemisia," he said, laying her down on his bed.

Artemisia looked up at him, her eyes lost in his. "I love you, Dilandau," she said. Dilandau positioned himself on top of her and continued to kiss her neck.

"Do I have your consent?" he asked, taking off her dress.

"Yes. Heal me, Dilandau" Artemisia replied, kissing him back.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Folken is the assassin! You get to know more about it and Dante in the next chapter. I know, it got a bit hentai at the end but whatever. I'll update sometime before New Year's. Merry Christmas, Minna san!

**© 2002- 2007 by Rockeye**


	25. Requiem

**The Lady Killer Chapter 25: Requiem**

**By: ****Rockeye**** (aka ****LaFemme**

_Disclaimer_: I do not own any esca thing's in here. only the parnassus's and artemis are the ones i own. the esca ppl are owned to bandai and sunrise and i will not stand in their way of esca-ownership! I also don't own "Blue Alert" by Madeleine Peyroux.

**Litschi** This chapter is dedicated to you for your undying support! In response to Artemisia being a bit of a , I understand completely. That was not my intention when I began writing but it turned out that way as I wrote more chapters. I wanted her to be one of those cold-hearted assassins, like a female Dilandau, but I just couldn't bear it! Her fatal flaw is how easily she falls for others or gets emotionally attached to others. For example, she started relationships with Dilandau, Miguel, and Dante after knowing them for only a few days, so I can see how she can appear to come off as a . The way in which the story is being written, she's the naive female assassin that was separated from her family during the war but her character develops and grows. Facing Dilandau again and fighting against Van and the masked assassin in recent chapters helped her develop more. Anyway, I hope this answers any concerns of Artemisia being a . I know this is a dumb question but by , you mean "ho", right?

**A/N**: Sorry for not updating sooner! I went to visit relatives in Cleveland over the weekend. It was fun because I got to go shop at American stores for a change! There was so much selection! This chapter explores the funeral for the fallen soldiers of Zaibach and how Dante and Folken are related to the Parnassus murders. There is also some afterglow from Dilandau and Artemisia's night together! Haha!

* * *

There's perfume burning in the air  
Bits of beauty everywhere  
Shrapnel flying, soldier hit the dirt

She comes so close  
You feel her then  
She tells you No and No again  
Your lip is cut on the edge of her pleated skirt  
Blue Alert

Visions of her drawing near  
Arise, abide, and disappear  
You try to slow it down  
It doesn't work

It's just another night I guess  
All tangled up in nakedness  
--Madeleine Peyroux, _Blue Alert_

Sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the morning sky as the Zaibach fortress hovered above Gaia. Two figures lay in bed, their bodies intertwined together in the black sheets. The morning air was crisp and a gentle breeze crept through the curtains and into the room. Dilandau's eyelid fluttered in the direction of the sun, revealing his brilliant garnet irises.

Dilandau held Artemisia in his arms. He bent down and gently caressed her neck with his lips. Her skin was soft and had a sensual fragrance to it. Artemisia stirred in his arms. She woke and turned around to look at him.

"Good morning, Dilandau," Artemisia murmured. She kissed Dilandau on the cheek and playfully tousled his hair with her hands. He caressed her body and kissed her chest. "Stop," she said, irritated, "you'll leave marks." She brushed his hands away and turned to face the sun.

Dilandau rose from the bed and put on his boxers. "I'm going to take a shower now. Get changed, Artemisia," Dilandau said curtly, throwing Artemisia's clothes at her.

With the sheets draped around her body, Artemisia looked up at Dilandau from the bed, leaning on one elbow. "You should take it slower, Dilandau. Don't be so hasty," she said.

Dilandau gazed at her lithe figure silhouetted on the bed. He walked over to where she lay and ran his hand through her hair. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her lips. "Just stay in bed," he said, heading toward the bathroom.

The behemoth bed was comforting for Artemisia, despite its intimidating appearance. She rose from the black sheets and looked at the sunlight creeping in from the windows. The previous night had been lovely. Dilandau had been the perfect gentleman to her, a completely different person. She felt a deeper connection between them now, a profound feeling that did not occur even when they were an item previously. Artemisia wondered if the connection between them was based on love or something else. _What if he is only infatuated with me?_ Artemisia thought to herself. Dilandau had told her countless times that he had loved her but was he confusing lust for love?

Artemisia gathered her clothes and slowly put them on. She walked over to his dresser and peered at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was tousled and wavy and her complexion warm. She could still smell Dilandau's masculine aroma on her clothes.

Looking down at his bureau and noticed an open drawer. Out of curiosity, Artemisia opened it and found a small black leather notebook. Imprinted on it were his initials,' D.A.' She realized that what she was holding appeared to be Dilandau's personal journal. She opened the notebook and began sifting through the pages to find the most recent entry:

_"__Everyone is gone, with the sole exception of Artemisia. She is a__ll I have now. Van defeated us and killed the dragon slayers while they activated the Stealth Cloak.__ I want to get my revenge. I've never been without my men before and with my comrades deceased, I have to find a new strategy for war. Capturing the __Escaflowne__ will be even more difficult with the dragon slayers. I know it will happen._

_The battle put Artemisia __in a coma...she __still __has not woken up. If I lose her, I do not know what would happen to me. I kno__w that I love her. What I feel for her is uncontrollable__. I try to look away but I cannot.__ Everything about her captivates me, her beauty, her smile, the way she battles. Folken tells me that I only lust after her and should stay away. __Every time I try to pursue her, I end up hurting her. She is, without a doubt, beautiful. She is the type of woman men can only dream of: her tall, lithe body, her flowing black hair and those amethyst eyes. _

_When her room was beside mine, I could hear her crying through the walls. A part of me wanted __to find out why she was crying while another wanted me to keep my distance. I kept my distance, partly because I wouldn't know what to do__ had I approached her. __I've told her several times that I love her, but __i__ do not think that my affections are being reciprocated. __Perhaps I'll show her how feel when she wakes from the coma."_

Upon hearing the running water cease, Artemisia quickly placed the book back in its drawer. She walked over to the balcony and gazed upon the earth below. _Perhaps Dilandau truly does love me, _Artemisia thought to herself.

Dilandau draped a towel around his waist and stood behind Artemisia. He wrapped his arms around her and turned her face toward him. He ran his hands up and down her slim arm. "There's a service today for the dragon slayers in Zaibach," Dilandau informed her. Artemisia felt a tingle down her spine when she heard the words.

She turned around and buried her face in his chest. "Come with me, Dilandau," she whispered quietly, trying to hide the crack in her voice.

"Of course," he said, putting his arms around her waist.

* * *

The service began in a peaceful, quiet manner. The church in Zaibach was devoid of warmth and did not suit the occasion at all. It seemed as though the church was erected in a rush, the builders missing the ornate details found in most churches. The walls were solid marble and bare, free of any carvings or sculptures. 

Artemisia looked to the front of the church. All but one of the dragon slayers' caskets were in the church, along with framed portraits beside them. Miguel's was to arrive soon.

She dabbed at the tears coming down her cheeks under her black pillbox hat. The small lace veil obstructed her eyes from view. Her black gloved hand grasped Dilandau's arm when she saw pallbearers bring Miguel's casket to the front of the church.

With red roses tucked in her arm, Artemisia rose from the bench and placed them on his closed casket. She kissed her gloved hand and touched the mahogany casket. The kiss was her final goodbye to him and she could not bear to leave him again. He was a good friend and was there when Dilandau was absent. Artemisia stifled the urge to scream for her loss because she had to be composed for today. She returned to her seat, the sound of her heels on the floor echoing throughout the church.

No emotion could be detected on Dilandau's face. His countenance remained the same throughout the service. Artemisia looked at his face several times and yet it remained the same. He looked on at his fallen comrades shedding no tears and doing little to comfort her. He looked on as if there was nothing before him.

Artemisia continued to weep quietly for the remainder of the service.

* * *

Although Dilandau gave the appearance of a cold-hearted monster, he was falling apart inside. A storm of fear and vengeance was brewing within. Dilandau tried his best to suppress it by looking on quietly. 

Upon returning to the Vione, Dilandau rushed to his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Remembering his promise, he allowed only Artemisia in with him.

"What is wrong with you, Dilandau?! You could have made an effort to show some sort of remorse for their deaths!" Artemisia shouted, enraged. Dilandau's silence had enraged her throughout the service.

Dilandau walked over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot of whiskey from the decanter. His hands shaking, he downed it in no time and went for another. He slammed the glass down on the table and watched it shatter into small shards.

"Dead!" he yelled, finally allowing himself to unleash his emotions. He kneeled down and breathed heavily, tearing off his military jacket and shirt. Burying his head in his hands, he began calming down.

"They're all dead! No one is under my command! I'm alone!!!" he finally said to a shocked Artemisia.

She shook her head. "I am the only one under your command, Lord Dilandau," she reminded him.

"Hmm, yes," he said, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips. "But first, I must take care of something," he added.

* * *

A pang of guilt ran through Dante's body as he passed Artemisia's room in the corridor. _At least she woke from her coma, _he thought to himself. He was the one who had attempted to dispose of her numerous times throughout the year. _I just want this to be over. I don't want to be Folken's pet any longer, _Dante thought to himself. His thoughts reverted to his days before his involvement in the war. He was happy then, an ultra-wealthy playboy who had everything he could ever ask for. Beautiful women at his side, an immense fortune in his name, and a mansion by the sea were at his every beck and call. The situation he was in now was a stark contrast to the life he had before. 

"Dante," said a voice in the hall.

Dante spun around and saw Dilandau. A look of terror rushed over his face. He stood there, speechless.

"Follow me to the interrogation room," Dilandau demanded curtly.

Dante did as he was told, trying to calm himself down while he walked through the hall. _Dilandau is just a child compared to me, _he noted. Even so, he still was somewhat petrified of him.

The two entered the interrogation room. _Folken never told me about this, _Dante thought to himself. The interrogation room resembled a dungeon with concrete walls, a cellar door with a small window, and a cold damp floor. It was a rather depressing room with a small table in the center and two chairs at each end. He stood up straight and sat before Dilandau at the small table in the center.

"Perhaps you're wondering why you're here," Dilandau started after seating himself. "I want to know what you feel for Artemisia," he said casually, leaning back in the chair.

Dante shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to answer that question. Why would you want to know, anyway?" Dante responded, his hands crossed on the table.

"It's a simple question. I'm not recording anything here, so no need to worry," Dilandau said, trying to calm Dante down.

"She means nothing to me," he finally said. "We had what you could call an affair about a year ago, but it never really progressed after we...," he trailed off. It was not terribly difficult for him to lie. He continued to lie, "It was mostly physical and in the end, we knew that we weren't meant for each other."

Dilandau's garnet eyes flashed when he heard Dante utter the latter. He began playing with his dagger, sheathing and unsheathing it. "You slept with Artemisia?" Dilandau asked frankly.

"Yes," Dante lied.

Suddenly, Dilandau stood up and stabbed the dagger into the table. "You're lying," he said with a sneer. "All she wants to do is avoid you," he added, noting Artemisia's uncomfortable encounter with Dante when he first arrived on the ship.

"It did not really end that well. Do you have any more questions, Lord Dilandau?" Dante inquired, his voice more confident now.

"Yes, in fact I do," Dilandau said with a smile. _Now I am going to find out if Dante really is Folken's puppet, _he thought to himself. He seated himself back into the chair, fingering the dagger on the table.

* * *

**A/N:** That's all for now, folks! School will be starting up again next week, so I won't be able to update at often. I know, I know, I crossed some borders when writing this chapter to put the M rating to reach its full potential. Anyway, hope y'all had a Happy New Year! 

In the next chappie, Dilandau is going to find out who the real masked assassin is! Battles and arguments will insue and a main character may or may not die. We will also get into the minds of Folken and Christabelle. Finally! See y'all then!

**© 2002- 2008**** by ****Rockeye**


End file.
